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: $468 in Butare versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $722 in Butare versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $975 in Butare versus $4,599 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 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 RWF 2,602

$17.08 €14.72

-89.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.88 RWF 30.5K

$69.2 €59.7

-69.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 RWF 8,209

$13.78 €11.87

-59.22%

Cappuccino

$1.78 RWF 2,595

$2.76 €2.37

-35.51%

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

$0.58 RWF 852

$2.79 €2.40

-79.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 RWF 536

$1.99 €1.72

-81.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 RWF 981

$4.36 €3.76

-84.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 RWF 1,547

$4.74 €4.09

-77.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.36 RWF 531

$1.29 €1.11

-72.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 RWF 1,436

$2.05 €1.77

-52.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 RWF 1,312

$1.99 €1.71

-54.77%

Eggs

$1.46 RWF 2,132

$3.39 €2.92

-56.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.21 RWF 3,219

$18.81 €16.21

-88.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 RWF 4,363

$9.36 €8.07

-68.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.73 RWF 3,986

$19.12 €16.48

-85.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 RWF 3,287

$2.70 €2.32

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 RWF 1,372

$2.34 €2.02

-59.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RWF 1,726

$2.12 €1.83

-44.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,129

$2.85 €2.46

-72.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 RWF 459

$1.97 €1.70

-84.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 RWF 680

$1.80 €1.55

-73.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 RWF 505

$1.45 €1.25

-75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 RWF 839

$0.86 €0.74

-33.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.19 RWF 1,733

$6.78 €5.84

-82.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 RWF 14.7K

$7.90 €6.81

27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RWF 1,247

$1.39 €1.20

-38.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 RWF 2,065

$2.37 €2.04

-40.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 RWF 388

$2.92 €2.52

-90.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.46 RWF 13.8K

$28.69 €24.72

-67.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 RWF 3,062

$4.46 €3.84

-52.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 RWF 1,354

$2.05 €1.77

-54.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 RWF 5,531

$29.55 €25.46

-87.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 RWF 1,136

$1.82 €1.56

-57.14%

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

$16.8K RWF 24.5M

$38.8K €33.5K

-56.74%

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

$8,613 RWF 12.6M

$33.1K €28.5K

-73.98%

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

$36.12 RWF 52.7K

$189 €163

-80.91%

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

$9.01 RWF 13.1K

$22.80 €19.65

-60.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 RWF 26.2K

$37.59 €32.39

-52.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.78 RWF 37.6K

$57.7 €49.75

-55.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 RWF 8,226

$20.74 €17.87

-72.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 RWF 5,159

$10.82 €9.33

-67.38%

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

$94.3 RWF 137.6K

$728 €628

-87.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,326 RWF 1.9M

$14.8K €12.7K

-91.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.16 RWF 20.7K

$88.6 €76.4

-84.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

$36.85 €31.75

-46.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.46 RWF 35.7K

$102 €87.9

-76.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.97 RWF 45.2K

$116 €100

-73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 RWF 306.9K

$1,569 €1,352

-86.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 RWF 203.1K

$1,218 €1,050

-88.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 RWF 463.9K

$2,795 €2,409

-88.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 RWF 347.2K

$1,975 €1,702

-87.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Butare and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Butare vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 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 399% in total monthly costs ($468 vs $2,337 including rent). Butare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $702 in Butare and $3,505 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: $210 in Butare versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $94.3 in Butare versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $468 in Butare versus $2,337 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 399% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.