Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $461 in Butare versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $721 in Butare versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $981 in Butare versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Butare costs roughly 80% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Butare is 65% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 RWF 2,491

$17.15 €14.86

-90.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

$68.1 €58.9

-68.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 RWF 8,137

$13.64 €11.82

-59.24%

Cappuccino

$1.72 RWF 2,511

$2.78 €2.41

-38.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 844

$2.82 €2.44

-79.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 RWF 529

$1.96 €1.70

-81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 RWF 982

$4.43 €3.84

-84.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 RWF 1,554

$4.61 €3.99

-77.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.40 RWF 582

$1.27 €1.10

-68.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 RWF 1,407

$2.13 €1.85

-54.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 RWF 1,394

$1.99 €1.72

-52.26%

Eggs

$1.43 RWF 2,090

$3.37 €2.92

-57.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.26 RWF 3,310

$18.96 €16.42

-88.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 RWF 4,555

$9.53 €8.26

-67.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.70 RWF 3,952

$18.73 €16.22

-85.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 RWF 3,416

$2.65 €2.29

-12.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 RWF 1,292

$2.35 €2.04

-62.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 RWF 1,645

$2.09 €1.81

-46.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 RWF 1,057

$2.73 €2.37

-73.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 RWF 501

$1.96 €1.70

-82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 RWF 636

$1.81 €1.56

-76.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 RWF 552

$1.51 €1.31

-74.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 RWF 840

$0.89 €0.77

-35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.25 RWF 1,834

$6.78 €5.87

-81.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 RWF 15.2K

$7.92 €6.86

31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RWF 1,332

$1.37 €1.19

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 RWF 1,993

$2.40 €2.08

-43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 RWF 429

$2.91 €2.52

-90.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.94 RWF 14.5K

$28.66 €24.82

-65.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 RWF 3,082

$4.58 €3.96

-53.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RWF 1,351

$2.04 €1.77

-54.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 RWF 5,463

$28.72 €24.87

-87.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 RWF 1,076

$1.82 €1.58

-59.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$16.8K RWF 24.6M

$39.3K €34.0K

-57.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$8,546 RWF 12.5M

$32.5K €28.1K

-73.68%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$36.66 RWF 53.6K

$187 €162

-80.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.03 RWF 13.2K

$22.29 €19.30

-59.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.19 RWF 26.6K

$36.37 €31.50

-49.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.43 RWF 37.2K

$57.5 €49.82

-55.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.41 RWF 7,921

$20.74 €17.96

-73.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.45 RWF 5,048

$10.77 €9.33

-67.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$93.6 RWF 137.0K

$725 €628

-87.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,373 RWF 2.0M

$15.2K €13.1K

-90.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.69 RWF 20.0K

$87.9 €76.1

-84.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.70 RWF 28.8K

$36.81 €31.88

-46.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.46 RWF 35.8K

$103 €89.6

-76.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.75 RWF 45.0K

$119 €103

-74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 RWF 303.4K

$1,524 €1,319

-86.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 RWF 204.4K

$1,227 €1,062

-88.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 RWF 462.3K

$2,727 €2,362

-88.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 RWF 349.9K

$1,984 €1,718

-87.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

3.39

377.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Butare: July 28, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Butare and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Butare vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $319 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Butare vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare and Barcelona differ by about 412% in total monthly costs ($461 vs $2,359 including rent). Butare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $691 in Butare and $3,539 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $207 in Butare versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.6 in Butare versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $461 in Butare versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Butare and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 412% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.