Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Nyamata

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $369 a month against $569 in Nyamata, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Nyamata
Learn more

Nyamata Living Index

Jump to prices

Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$369

/mo nomad

Nyamata

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Butare and in Nyamata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $369 in Butare versus $569 in Nyamata.

Butare $369
Nyamata $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $589 in Butare versus $896 in Nyamata.

Butare $589
Nyamata $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $809 in Butare versus $1,222 in Nyamata.

Butare $809
Nyamata $1,222

Living in Butare costs roughly 35% less than in Nyamata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butare 73% lower, Nyamata 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 RWF 4,025

$2.70 RWF 3,972

1.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 RWF 44.8K

$11.81 RWF 17.4K

157.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 RWF 10.0K

$6.90 RWF 10.2K

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$2.39 RWF 3,522

$1.68 RWF 2,470

42.26%

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

$0.81 RWF 1,189

$0.66 RWF 973

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 RWF 807

$0.35 RWF 519

57.14%

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

$1.66 RWF 2,438

41.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.33 RWF 481

$0.85 RWF 1,257

-61.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 RWF 1,214

$0.79 RWF 1,164

5.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 RWF 1,460

$1.32 RWF 1,949

-25.00%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,358

$1.59 RWF 2,337

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.64 RWF 2,413

$3.59 RWF 5,288

-54.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 RWF 3,565

$2.78 RWF 4,097

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.02 RWF 4,450

$4.13 RWF 6,077

-26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 RWF 2,943

$2.39 RWF 3,523

-16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,126

$0.39 RWF 579

97.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RWF 1,739

$0.71 RWF 1,040

66.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 RWF 1,226

$0.56 RWF 826

48.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 RWF 622

$0.49 RWF 719

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.26 RWF 380

$0.73 RWF 1,074

-64.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.14 RWF 206

$0.33 RWF 479

-57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RWF 1,253

$0.70 RWF 1,024

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 RWF 2,936

$1.31 RWF 1,930

52.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.12 RWF 14.9K

$10.19 RWF 15.0K

-0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RWF 1,445

$1.00 RWF 1,468

-2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 RWF 2,299

$1.52 RWF 2,240

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.88 RWF 45.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 RWF 3,950

$2.53 RWF 3,721

6.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 RWF 2,951

$2.04 RWF 3,008

-1.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 RWF 5,024

$3.07 RWF 4,515

11.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RWF 2,700

$1.23 RWF 1,817

49.59%

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

$25.6K RWF 37.7M

$26.2K RWF 38.5M

-2.12%

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

$29.2K RWF 42.9M

$24.0K RWF 35.2M

21.73%

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

$82.6 RWF 121.5K

$85.5 RWF 125.7K

-3.33%

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

$7.03 RWF 10.3K

$7.16 RWF 10.5K

-1.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.06 RWF 31.0K

$16.89 RWF 24.8K

24.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 RWF 150.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.30 RWF 4,859

$2.06 RWF 3,035

60.19%

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

$112 RWF 165.5K

$112 RWF 164.9K

0.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

$9,359 RWF 13.8M

1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.51 RWF 25.8K

$17.08 RWF 25.1K

2.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.43 RWF 22.7K

$15.51 RWF 22.8K

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.09 RWF 32.5K

$22.34 RWF 32.9K

-1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.89 RWF 49.9K

$33.72 RWF 49.6K

0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 RWF 149.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.4 RWF 100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 RWF 493.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 RWF 345.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 RWF 272.6K

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 Nyamata: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butare

$112 30.5%

Nyamata

$126 22.2% 12.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butare

$111 30%

Nyamata

$110 19.3% 1.1% $1.2

Eating Out

Butare

$86 23.4%

Nyamata

$75 13.2% 13.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Butare

$40 10.9%

Nyamata

$40 7% 0.3% $0.1

Getting Around

Butare

$13 * 3.5%

Nyamata

$44 * 7.7% 243% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Butare

$6.6 * 1.8%

Nyamata

$106 18.7% 1506% $100

Accommodation & Living

Butare

- * 0%

Nyamata

$68 12%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Butare vs $12 in Nyamata. Groceries flip the comparison at $112 vs $126, with Butare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Butare

🇷🇼 Nyamata

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

Same time as Butare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,823

21,509

💱 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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Between locations

Butare Nyamata 66 km

From you

Butare
Nyamata

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 Nyamata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Nyamata. 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 $853 in Nyamata 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 12% higher in Nyamata. 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 $569 in Nyamata – Butare is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Nyamata are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.