Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Rwanda

Name: Rwanda
Address: RW

For one person, living costs are similar in China and in Rwanda: $791 and $811 a month, rent and utilities included.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Rwanda
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Rwanda Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Rwanda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $811 in Rwanda.

China $791
Rwanda $811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,311 in Rwanda.

China $1,251
Rwanda $1,311

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,810 in Rwanda.

China $1,711
Rwanda $1,810

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $369–$881 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in China.

On average, monthly costs in China and in Rwanda are close – where you settle within each country matters more.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Rwanda 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.80

$3.02 RWF 4,448

-1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$24.94 RWF 36.7K

-11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.58

$6.87 RWF 10.1K

-24.31%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.73

$2.27 RWF 3,336

30.84%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.80 RWF 1,176

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.54 RWF 793

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$0.98 RWF 1,445

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.14

$2.06 RWF 3,030

10.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.95

$0.85 RWF 1,247

111.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.14

$1.03 RWF 1,512

63.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.24 RWF 1,831

-25.81%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.59 RWF 2,333

1.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$4.02 RWF 5,914

232.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.27

$4.35 RWF 6,407

-22.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$4.15 RWF 6,111

173.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$2.76 RWF 4,065

-34.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$0.84 RWF 1,229

55.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.56 RWF 2,288

-4.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$0.98 RWF 1,446

29.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$0.47 RWF 686

51.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.80 RWF 1,178

16.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.49 RWF 727

26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.80 RWF 1,179

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.14

$2.00 RWF 2,944

89.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$9.95 RWF 14.6K

21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$1.11 RWF 1,640

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.20

$1.52 RWF 2,243

10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.36 RWF 524

-19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$26.57 RWF 39.1K

-32.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$2.79 RWF 4,106

-46.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.98 RWF 2,911

-81.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.21

$3.44 RWF 5,067

106.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.80 RWF 2,648

-30.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.3K

$26.2K RWF 38.5M

-25.72%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$23.2K RWF 34.2M

-24.50%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$83.3 RWF 122.5K

-34.49%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$7.62 RWF 11.2K

14.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$20.87 RWF 30.7K

-46.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$31.13 RWF 45.8K

30.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.3

$4.13 RWF 6,079

250.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.10

$3.31 RWF 4,875

104.83%

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

$517 ¥3,436

$133 RWF 195.2K

289.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$9,517 RWF 14.0M

108.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$20.58 RWF 30.3K

126.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$17.16 RWF 25.2K

107.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$27.09 RWF 39.9K

184.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$35.62 RWF 52.4K

125.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,566

$601 RWF 883.9K

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,560

$340 RWF 500.0K

-31.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,466

$1,290 RWF 1.9M

-36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,013

$802 RWF 1.2M

-43.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$3,440 RWF 5.1M

36.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$2,986 RWF 4.4M

-20.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,271

$290 RWF 426.8K

276.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

16.2

-78.64%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Rwanda

$340 41.9% 44.9% $105

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Rwanda

$149 18.4% 28.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Rwanda

$45 5.6% 58% $63

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Rwanda

$86 10.7% 1.9% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Rwanda

$112 13.8% 50.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Rwanda

$38 4.7% 30.5% $17

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Rwanda

$41 5% 82.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $354 in Rwanda. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $672 in Kigali.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $232 in Rwanda. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.