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: $472 in Butare versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $726 in Butare versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $981 in Butare versus $4,411 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 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 RWF 2,562

$15.91 €13.69

-88.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.44 RWF 29.8K

$64.8 €55.7

-68.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 RWF 8,029

$10.51 €9.04

-47.67%

Cappuccino

$1.79 RWF 2,614

$2.87 €2.47

-37.63%

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

$0.53 RWF 776

$2.24 €1.93

-76.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 RWF 487

$1.50 €1.29

-78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 RWF 977

$3.49 €3.00

-80.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 RWF 1,556

$3.88 €3.34

-72.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 RWF 570

$1.14 €0.98

-65.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 RWF 1,437

$1.75 €1.51

-44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 RWF 1,343

$1.76 €1.51

-47.73%

Eggs

$1.41 RWF 2,051

$3.22 €2.77

-56.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.22 RWF 3,237

$13.49 €11.61

-83.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 RWF 4,499

$7.91 €6.81

-61.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.78 RWF 4,058

$15.87 €13.65

-82.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 RWF 3,283

$2.31 €1.99

-2.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 RWF 1,315

$1.70 €1.46

-47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RWF 1,725

$2.01 €1.73

-41.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 RWF 1,133

$2.46 €2.12

-68.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 RWF 458

$1.84 €1.59

-83.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 RWF 635

$2.00 €1.72

-78.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 RWF 510

$1.93 €1.66

-81.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 RWF 786

$0.79 €0.68

-31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 RWF 1,805

$6.61 €5.68

-81.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 RWF 14.9K

$5.72 €4.92

79.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RWF 1,308

$1.37 €1.17

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 RWF 2,075

$2.97 €2.56

-52.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 RWF 427

$2.37 €2.04

-87.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.54 RWF 13.9K

$45.56 €39.19

-79.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 RWF 3,101

$4.29 €3.69

-50.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 RWF 1,334

$0.82 €0.70

10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 RWF 5,536

$18.30 €15.74

-79.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 RWF 1,145

$2.06 €1.78

-61.65%

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

$16.9K RWF 24.7M

$34.3K €29.5K

-50.69%

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

$8,720 RWF 12.7M

$39.3K €33.8K

-77.81%

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

$36.33 RWF 53.0K

$148 €127

-75.43%

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

$8.67 RWF 12.7K

$20.52 €17.65

-57.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.71 RWF 25.8K

$39.61 €34.08

-55.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.92 RWF 37.8K

$47.85 €41.16

-45.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.70 RWF 8,317

$18.92 €16.28

-69.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 RWF 5,146

$9.18 €7.90

-61.55%

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

$93.8 RWF 136.9K

$614 €528

-84.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,335 RWF 1.9M

$16.0K €13.8K

-91.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.88 RWF 20.2K

$105 €90.0

-86.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.49 RWF 28.4K

$42.06 €36.18

-53.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.15 RWF 35.2K

$94.0 €80.8

-74.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.20 RWF 45.5K

$120 €103

-73.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 RWF 301.4K

$1,628 €1,400

-87.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 RWF 198.8K

$1,255 €1,080

-89.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 RWF 454.5K

$3,030 €2,607

-89.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 RWF 348.8K

$2,020 €1,738

-88.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Butare and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Butare vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $269 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 369% 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 $3,315 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: $207 in Butare versus $1,628 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $472 per month in Butare versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 369% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $472 in Butare versus $2,210 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 $472 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 369% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.