Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Kigali

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $369 a month against $881 in Kigali, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
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Butare Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Kigali
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Kigali Living Index

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Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$369

/mo nomad

Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Butare and in Kigali

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 Kigali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $369 in Butare versus $881 in Kigali.

Butare $369
Kigali $881

Estimated couple costs with rent: $589 in Butare versus $1,373 in Kigali.

Butare $589
Kigali $1,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $809 in Butare versus $1,865 in Kigali.

Butare $809
Kigali $1,865

Living in Butare costs roughly 58% less than in Kigali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butare 73% lower, Kigali 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 RWF 4,025

$2.74 RWF 4,030

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 RWF 44.8K

$30.98 RWF 45.6K

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 RWF 10.0K

$6.89 RWF 10.1K

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$2.39 RWF 3,522

$2.44 RWF 3,586

-2.05%

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

$0.81 RWF 1,189

$0.80 RWF 1,170

1.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 RWF 807

$0.58 RWF 857

-5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 RWF 1,544

$1.04 RWF 1,525

0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 RWF 3,461

$2.42 RWF 3,555

-2.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.33 RWF 481

$0.85 RWF 1,255

-61.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 RWF 1,214

$1.02 RWF 1,506

-18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 RWF 1,460

$1.31 RWF 1,931

-24.43%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,358

$1.68 RWF 2,469

-4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.64 RWF 2,413

$4.11 RWF 6,046

-60.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 RWF 3,565

$4.63 RWF 6,804

-47.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.02 RWF 4,450

$4.43 RWF 6,523

-31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 RWF 2,943

$2.43 RWF 3,569

-17.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,126

$0.77 RWF 1,132

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RWF 1,739

$1.55 RWF 2,284

-23.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 RWF 1,226

$1.08 RWF 1,585

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 RWF 622

$0.48 RWF 702

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.26 RWF 380

$0.71 RWF 1,040

-63.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.14 RWF 206

$0.66 RWF 971

-78.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RWF 1,253

$0.80 RWF 1,172

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 RWF 2,936

$1.98 RWF 2,915

1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.12 RWF 14.9K

$10.11 RWF 14.9K

0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RWF 1,445

$1.04 RWF 1,529

-5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 RWF 2,299

$1.54 RWF 2,265

1.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 516

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.84 RWF 38.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 RWF 3,950

$2.76 RWF 4,059

-2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 RWF 2,951

$1.98 RWF 2,915

1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 RWF 5,024

$3.41 RWF 5,024

0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RWF 2,700

$1.88 RWF 2,770

-2.13%

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

$25.6K RWF 37.7M

$26.3K RWF 38.7M

-2.70%

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

$29.2K RWF 42.9M

$29.9K RWF 44.0M

-2.48%

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

$82.6 RWF 121.5K

$83.6 RWF 123.0K

-1.21%

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

$7.03 RWF 10.3K

$6.96 RWF 10.2K

1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.06 RWF 31.0K

$21.33 RWF 31.4K

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.27 RWF 43.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.15 RWF 6,109

Cinema Ticket

$3.30 RWF 4,859

$3.47 RWF 5,102

-4.90%

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

$112 RWF 165.5K

$111 RWF 163.4K

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

-0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.51 RWF 25.8K

$17.52 RWF 25.8K

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.43 RWF 22.7K

$15.25 RWF 22.4K

1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.09 RWF 32.5K

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.89 RWF 49.9K

$33.75 RWF 49.6K

0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 RWF 988.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 RWF 610.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 RWF 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 RWF 1.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,389 RWF 5.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 RWF 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 RWF 410.7K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kigali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butare

$112 30.5%

Kigali

$151 17.2% 34.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butare

$111 30%

Kigali

$112 12.7% 1.1% $1.2

Eating Out

Butare

$86 23.4%

Kigali

$87 9.9% 1.1% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Butare

$40 10.9%

Kigali

$40 4.5% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Butare

$13 * 3.5%

Kigali

$40 4.5% 214% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Butare

$6.6 * 1.8%

Kigali

$36 4.1% 448% $30

Accommodation & Living

Butare

- * 0%

Kigali

$415 47.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Butare vs $31 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $112 vs $151 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Butare

🇷🇼 Kigali

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

Same time as Butare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,823

1,132,686 Capital

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Butare Kigali 81 km

From you

Butare
Kigali

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 Kigali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Kigali. 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 $553 in Butare and $1,322 in Kigali 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 Kigali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $369 per month in Butare versus $881 in Kigali – Butare is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $369 in Butare versus $881 in Kigali, a $800 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Kigali. 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 Kigali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.