Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $471 in Butare versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $726 in Butare versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $982 in Butare versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Butare costs roughly 79% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Butare is 65% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 RWF 2,506

$16.19 €14.17

-89.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.44 RWF 29.9K

$63.3 €55.4

-67.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 RWF 7,987

$10.32 €9.03

-47.09%

Cappuccino

$1.76 RWF 2,572

$2.83 €2.48

-37.81%

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

$0.54 RWF 792

$2.29 €2.00

-76.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 RWF 534

$1.58 €1.38

-76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 RWF 975

$3.40 €2.98

-80.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 RWF 1,488

$4.03 €3.52

-74.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 RWF 573

$1.09 €0.95

-64.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 RWF 1,407

$1.75 €1.53

-45.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 RWF 1,420

$1.76 €1.54

-44.89%

Eggs

$1.41 RWF 2,059

$3.17 €2.77

-55.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.27 RWF 3,318

$13.19 €11.54

-82.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 RWF 4,515

$7.97 €6.97

-61.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.80 RWF 4,091

$15.53 €13.59

-81.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 RWF 3,227

$2.37 €2.07

-6.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 RWF 1,315

$1.71 €1.49

-47.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 RWF 1,699

$2.01 €1.76

-42.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 RWF 1,141

$2.43 €2.13

-67.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 RWF 501

$1.76 €1.54

-80.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 RWF 679

$2.03 €1.78

-77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 RWF 543

$1.92 €1.68

-80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 848

$0.85 €0.74

-31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.21 RWF 1,763

$6.58 €5.76

-81.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 RWF 15.1K

$5.58 €4.88

85.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RWF 1,306

$1.33 €1.17

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RWF 1,979

$2.97 €2.60

-54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 RWF 394

$2.28 €1.99

-88.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.95 RWF 14.5K

$45.79 €40.06

-78.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 RWF 2,998

$4.23 €3.70

-51.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RWF 1,275

$0.81 €0.71

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 RWF 5,721

$18.44 €16.13

-78.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 RWF 1,051

$2.08 €1.82

-65.38%

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

$16.9K RWF 24.7M

$34.7K €30.3K

-51.20%

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

$8,545 RWF 12.5M

$39.2K €34.3K

-78.18%

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

$36.75 RWF 53.7K

$148 €130

-75.18%

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

$8.73 RWF 12.8K

$20.46 €17.90

-57.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.81 RWF 26.0K

$39.56 €34.61

-54.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 RWF 37.3K

$47.99 €41.99

-46.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.62 RWF 8,223

$18.60 €16.27

-69.78%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 RWF 5,029

$9.22 €8.07

-62.69%

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

$94.6 RWF 138.3K

$616 €539

-84.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,331 RWF 1.9M

$16.4K €14.4K

-91.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.72 RWF 20.1K

$103 €89.9

-86.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.68 RWF 28.8K

$41.74 €36.52

-52.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.88 RWF 34.9K

$94.8 €82.9

-74.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.78 RWF 46.5K

$122 €107

-73.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 RWF 304.9K

$1,633 €1,428

-87.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 RWF 200.7K

$1,232 €1,078

-88.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 RWF 450.8K

$3,098 €2,711

-90.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 RWF 348.7K

$2,031 €1,777

-88.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

3.81

325.20%

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

Last update for Butare: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Butare and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Butare vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $267 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 386% lower than in Lisbon. 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 $707 in Butare and $3,437 in Lisbon 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: $209 in Butare versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Butare – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $471 per month in Butare versus $2,291 in Lisbon – a 386% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $471 in Butare versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $471 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butare and Lisbon 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 386% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.