Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Byumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $371 a month against $411 in Byumba, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
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Butare Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Byumba
Learn more

Byumba Living Index

Jump to prices

Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$371

/mo nomad

Byumba

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Butare and in Byumba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Butare and in Byumba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $371 in Butare versus $411 in Byumba.

Butare $371
Byumba $411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $592 in Butare versus $661 in Byumba.

Butare $592
Byumba $661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $813 in Butare versus $911 in Byumba.

Butare $813
Byumba $911

Living in Butare costs roughly 10% less than in Byumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butare 72% lower, Byumba 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 RWF 4,008

$2.79 RWF 4,098

-2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.73 RWF 45.2K

$31.03 RWF 45.6K

-0.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.88 RWF 10.1K

$6.92 RWF 10.2K

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$2.38 RWF 3,502

$2.40 RWF 3,529

-0.83%

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

$0.75 RWF 1,096

$0.80 RWF 1,172

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 RWF 807

$0.57 RWF 844

-3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 RWF 1,540

$1.00 RWF 1,471

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 RWF 3,557

$2.30 RWF 3,381

5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.32 RWF 476

$0.81 RWF 1,194

-60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 RWF 1,143

$1.04 RWF 1,525

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 RWF 1,364

$1.32 RWF 1,941

-29.55%

Eggs

$1.65 RWF 2,424

$1.58 RWF 2,327

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.66 RWF 2,442

$4.25 RWF 6,253

-60.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 RWF 3,556

$4.72 RWF 6,945

-48.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.07 RWF 4,515

$4.55 RWF 6,696

-32.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 RWF 3,023

$2.36 RWF 3,469

-12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 RWF 1,172

$0.81 RWF 1,195

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 RWF 1,647

$1.49 RWF 2,184

-24.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 RWF 1,223

$1.03 RWF 1,516

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 RWF 583

$0.48 RWF 701

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.26 RWF 378

$0.72 RWF 1,053

-63.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.15 RWF 223

$0.66 RWF 969

-77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RWF 1,190

$0.83 RWF 1,214

-2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 RWF 3,013

$2.02 RWF 2,969

1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.30 RWF 15.1K

$10.25 RWF 15.1K

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RWF 1,513

$0.98 RWF 1,441

5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RWF 2,335

$1.53 RWF 2,254

3.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 RWF 3,936

$2.79 RWF 4,103

-3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 RWF 3,030

$2.07 RWF 3,044

-0.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 RWF 4,951

$3.48 RWF 5,117

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RWF 2,740

$1.90 RWF 2,792

-2.11%

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

$26.5K RWF 38.9M

$26.6K RWF 39.1M

-0.49%

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

$29.8K RWF 43.8M

$30.0K RWF 44.0M

-0.57%

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

$84.2 RWF 123.7K

$84.7 RWF 124.6K

-0.70%

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

$7.11 RWF 10.5K

$7.16 RWF 10.5K

-0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.26 RWF 31.3K

$20.68 RWF 30.4K

2.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 RWF 5,054

$3.30 RWF 4,855

4.24%

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

$114 RWF 167.3K

$113 RWF 166.3K

0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,535 RWF 14.0M

$9,444 RWF 13.9M

0.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.64 RWF 25.9K

$17.53 RWF 25.8K

0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 RWF 22.7K

$15.63 RWF 23.0K

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.48 RWF 33.0K

$22.27 RWF 32.7K

0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.06 RWF 50.1K

$34.25 RWF 50.4K

-0.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

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

Last update for Butare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Byumba: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butare

$113 30.3%

Byumba

$113 27.4% 0% $0

Groceries & Markets

Butare

$112 30.2%

Byumba

$152 36.9% 35.2% $40

Eating Out

Butare

$86 23.2%

Byumba

$87 21.1% 0.8% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Butare

$40 10.9%

Byumba

$40 9.8% 0% $0

Getting Around

Butare

$13 * 3.5%

Byumba

$13 * 3.2% 1.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Butare

$6.9 * 1.9%

Byumba

$6.6 * 1.6% 3.9% $0.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Butare vs $31.00 in Byumba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $112 vs $152 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Butare

🇷🇼 Byumba

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

Same time as Butare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,823

43,134

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Butare Byumba 120 km

From you

Butare
Byumba

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Byumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Byumba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $557 in Butare and $617 in Byumba 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Byumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $371 per month in Butare versus $411 in Byumba – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Butare gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Byumba 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 11% less than in Byumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.