Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $465 in Butare versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $713 in Butare versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $961 in Butare versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Butare costs roughly 62% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butare 65% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 RWF 2,509

$4.51 ฿148

-61.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.14 RWF 30.9K

$46.62 ฿1,528

-54.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 RWF 8,012

$8.49 ฿278

-35.34%

Cappuccino

$1.77 RWF 2,583

$3.08 ฿101

-42.53%

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

$0.58 RWF 842

$0.68 ฿22.26

-14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 RWF 531

$0.36 ฿11.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 RWF 983

$2.43 ฿79.5

-72.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 RWF 1,549

$3.63 ฿119

-70.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 RWF 571

$2.19 ฿71.7

-82.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 RWF 1,407

$1.81 ฿59.5

-46.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 RWF 1,420

$2.23 ฿73.1

-56.50%

Eggs

$1.41 RWF 2,059

$2.24 ฿73.3

-37.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.30 RWF 3,355

$19.60 ฿642

-88.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 RWF 4,539

$3.72 ฿122

-16.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.74 RWF 3,993

$13.47 ฿441

-79.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 RWF 3,289

$3.36 ฿110

-33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 RWF 1,306

$1.62 ฿53.0

-45.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RWF 1,718

$2.41 ฿79.0

-51.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 RWF 1,163

$1.99 ฿65.2

-59.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 RWF 500

$1.53 ฿50.2

-77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 RWF 686

$1.45 ฿47.59

-67.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 RWF 509

$1.01 ฿33.23

-65.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 RWF 835

$0.48 ฿15.86

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.23 RWF 1,798

$4.27 ฿140

-71.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 RWF 14.8K

$19.12 ฿627

-46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RWF 1,309

$1.84 ฿60.2

-51.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 RWF 2,087

$2.74 ฿89.8

-47.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 RWF 427

$1.42 ฿46.44

-79.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.64 RWF 14.1K

$11.72 ฿384

-17.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 RWF 3,002

$3.00 ฿98.4

-31.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RWF 1,249

$1.05 ฿34.28

-18.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 RWF 5,626

$13.90 ฿456

-72.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 RWF 1,070

$1.29 ฿42.28

-43.41%

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

$17.0K RWF 24.8M

$28.0K ฿918.7K

-39.52%

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

$8,847 RWF 12.9M

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-73.59%

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

$36.28 RWF 53.0K

$122 ฿3,997

-70.26%

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

$8.72 RWF 12.7K

$13.93 ฿457

-37.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.21 RWF 26.6K

$18.87 ฿618

-3.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.90 RWF 37.8K

$61.3 ฿2,008

-57.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 RWF 8,281

$16.84 ฿552

-66.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 RWF 5,129

$8.89 ฿291

-60.52%

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

$94.5 RWF 137.9K

$691 ฿22.7K

-86.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,353 RWF 2.0M

$16.2K ฿529.5K

-91.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.67 RWF 20.0K

$57.8 ฿1,894

-76.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.60 RWF 28.6K

$35.39 ฿1,160

-44.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.61 RWF 35.9K

$113 ฿3,716

-78.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.13 RWF 45.5K

$83.0 ฿2,720

-62.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 RWF 298.5K

$607 ฿19.9K

-66.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 RWF 203.5K

$448 ฿14.7K

-68.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 RWF 448.4K

$2,029 ฿66.5K

-84.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 RWF 348.4K

$1,493 ฿48.9K

-84.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

5.33

203.94%

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

Last update for Butare: June 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Butare and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Butare vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $292 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Phuket. 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 $698 in Butare and $1,835 in Phuket 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: $204 in Butare versus $607 in Phuket. 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 $21.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $465 per month in Butare versus $1,223 in Phuket – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $465 in Butare versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 $465 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butare and Phuket 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 163% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.