Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Byumba and Butare

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $371 a month against $411 in Byumba, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Byumba
Learn more

Byumba Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
Learn more

Butare Living Index

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Byumba

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$411

/mo nomad

Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Byumba and in Butare

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Byumba and in Butare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $411 in Byumba versus $371 in Butare.

Byumba $411
Butare $371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $661 in Byumba versus $592 in Butare.

Byumba $661
Butare $592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $911 in Byumba versus $813 in Butare.

Byumba $911
Butare $813

Living in Byumba is roughly 11% more expensive than in Butare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Byumba 70% lower, Butare 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.79 RWF 4,098

$2.73 RWF 4,008

2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.03 RWF 45.6K

$30.73 RWF 45.2K

0.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 RWF 10.2K

$6.88 RWF 10.1K

0.58%

Cappuccino

$2.40 RWF 3,529

$2.38 RWF 3,502

0.84%

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

$0.80 RWF 1,172

$0.75 RWF 1,096

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 RWF 844

$0.55 RWF 807

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 RWF 1,471

$1.05 RWF 1,540

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RWF 3,381

$2.42 RWF 3,557

-4.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 RWF 1,194

$0.32 RWF 476

153.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 RWF 1,525

$0.78 RWF 1,143

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 RWF 1,941

$0.93 RWF 1,364

41.94%

Eggs

$1.58 RWF 2,327

$1.65 RWF 2,424

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.25 RWF 6,253

$1.66 RWF 2,442

156.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 RWF 6,945

$2.42 RWF 3,556

95.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 RWF 6,696

$3.07 RWF 4,515

48.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 RWF 3,469

$2.06 RWF 3,023

14.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 RWF 1,195

$0.80 RWF 1,172

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RWF 2,184

$1.12 RWF 1,647

33.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 RWF 1,516

$0.83 RWF 1,223

24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 RWF 701

$0.40 RWF 583

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RWF 1,053

$0.26 RWF 378

176.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 RWF 969

$0.15 RWF 223

340.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 RWF 1,214

$0.81 RWF 1,190

2.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 RWF 2,969

$2.05 RWF 3,013

-1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 RWF 15.1K

$10.30 RWF 15.1K

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RWF 1,441

$1.03 RWF 1,513

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RWF 2,254

$1.59 RWF 2,335

-3.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 RWF 4,103

$2.68 RWF 3,936

4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 RWF 3,044

$2.06 RWF 3,030

0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 RWF 5,117

$3.37 RWF 4,951

3.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RWF 2,792

$1.86 RWF 2,740

2.15%

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

$26.6K RWF 39.1M

$26.5K RWF 38.9M

0.49%

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

$30.0K RWF 44.0M

$29.8K RWF 43.8M

0.57%

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

$84.7 RWF 124.6K

$84.2 RWF 123.7K

0.70%

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

$7.16 RWF 10.5K

$7.11 RWF 10.5K

0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.68 RWF 30.4K

$21.26 RWF 31.3K

-2.73%

Cinema Ticket

$3.30 RWF 4,855

$3.44 RWF 5,054

-4.07%

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

$113 RWF 166.3K

$114 RWF 167.3K

-0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,444 RWF 13.9M

$9,535 RWF 14.0M

-0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 RWF 25.8K

$17.64 RWF 25.9K

-0.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.63 RWF 23.0K

$15.47 RWF 22.7K

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.27 RWF 32.7K

$22.48 RWF 33.0K

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.25 RWF 50.4K

$34.06 RWF 50.1K

0.56%

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 Byumba: October 13, 2026

Last update for Butare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Byumba

$152 36.9%

Butare

$112 30.2% 26.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Byumba

$113 27.4%

Butare

$113 30.3% 0% $0

Eating Out

Byumba

$87 21.1%

Butare

$86 23.2% 0.8% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Byumba

$40 9.8%

Butare

$40 10.9% 0% $0

Getting Around

Byumba

$13 * 3.2%

Butare

$13 * 3.5% 1.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Byumba

$6.6 * 1.6%

Butare

$6.9 * 1.9% 4.1% $0.3

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Byumba vs $31.00 in Butare. Groceries flip the comparison at $152 vs $112, with Butare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Byumba

🇷🇼 Butare

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Byumba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,134

62,823

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Byumba Butare 120 km

From you

Byumba
Butare

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

Byumba vs Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Byumba. 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 $617 in Byumba and $557 in Butare 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 Byumba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $411 per month in Byumba versus $371 in Butare – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Byumba and Butare 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 11% less than in Byumba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.