Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gisenyi and Nyamata

For one person, living is cheaper in Gisenyi: $453 a month against $569 in Nyamata, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gisenyi
Learn more

Gisenyi Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Nyamata
Learn more

Nyamata Living Index

Jump to prices

Gisenyi

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$453

/mo nomad

Nyamata

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gisenyi 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 Gisenyi and in Nyamata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $453 per month in Gisenyi vs $569 in Nyamata, rent included.

Gisenyi $453
Nyamata $569

A couple spends around $693 per month in Gisenyi vs $899 in Nyamata, rent included.

Gisenyi $693
Nyamata $899

A family of three spends $933 per month in Gisenyi vs $1,229 in Nyamata, rent included.

Gisenyi $933
Nyamata $1,229

Gisenyi is about 20% cheaper than Nyamata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Gisenyi and Nyamata are more affordable than the global median – Gisenyi 66% lower, Nyamata 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 RWF 4,007

$2.75 RWF 4,048

-0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.85 RWF 21.8K

$11.79 RWF 17.3K

25.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 RWF 9,063

$6.65 RWF 9,779

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$2.45 RWF 3,601

$1.71 RWF 2,510

43.27%

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

$0.77 RWF 1,126

$0.71 RWF 1,039

8.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 854

$0.38 RWF 560

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 RWF 1,516

$1.04 RWF 1,528

-0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 RWF 2,964

$1.71 RWF 2,509

18.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 RWF 1,175

$0.82 RWF 1,200

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RWF 1,500

$0.78 RWF 1,145

30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 RWF 1,882

$1.28 RWF 1,878

Eggs

$1.65 RWF 2,427

$1.61 RWF 2,367

2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.22 RWF 6,206

$3.55 RWF 5,224

18.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 RWF 6,927

$2.67 RWF 3,927

76.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 RWF 6,504

$4.12 RWF 6,055

7.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 RWF 3,594

$2.47 RWF 3,629

-1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 RWF 1,117

$0.40 RWF 587

90.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RWF 2,192

$0.70 RWF 1,032

112.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 RWF 1,583

$0.56 RWF 820

92.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 RWF 719

$0.49 RWF 718

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RWF 1,053

$0.77 RWF 1,128

-6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 RWF 463

$0.35 RWF 521

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RWF 1,205

$0.71 RWF 1,044

15.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 RWF 3,018

$1.33 RWF 1,958

54.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 RWF 15.0K

$10.32 RWF 15.2K

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RWF 1,503

$1.03 RWF 1,512

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 RWF 2,211

$1.58 RWF 2,326

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 RWF 134

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.74 RWF 45.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 RWF 3,883

$2.64 RWF 3,886

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 RWF 2,922

$2.00 RWF 2,945

-0.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 RWF 5,058

$3.14 RWF 4,616

9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 RWF 2,774

$1.23 RWF 1,810

53.66%

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

$25.9K RWF 38.0M

$26.4K RWF 38.8M

-2.06%

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

$29.5K RWF 43.4M

$23.8K RWF 35.0M

23.88%

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

$84.8 RWF 124.6K

$85.3 RWF 125.4K

-0.64%

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

$2.96 RWF 4,354

$7.19 RWF 10.6K

-58.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.82 RWF 30.6K

$17.12 RWF 25.2K

21.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 RWF 150.6K

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 RWF 5,096

$1.99 RWF 2,930

74.37%

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

$113 RWF 165.5K

$114 RWF 167.3K

-1.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,593 RWF 14.1M

$9,358 RWF 13.8M

2.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.17 RWF 25.2K

$17.24 RWF 25.3K

-0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.81 RWF 23.2K

$15.65 RWF 23.0K

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.42 RWF 33.0K

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.48 RWF 49.2K

$34.32 RWF 50.5K

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 RWF 431.5K

$100.0 RWF 147.0K

193.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$49.87 RWF 73.3K

$67.9 RWF 99.8K

-26.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 RWF 438.3K

$343 RWF 503.9K

-13.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 RWF 175.8K

$240 RWF 353.5K

-50.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 RWF 264.8K

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 Gisenyi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nyamata: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gisenyi

$150 33.2%

Nyamata

$126 22.2% 16% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gisenyi

$109 24%

Nyamata

$110 19.3% 1% $1.1

Eating Out

Gisenyi

$84 18.6%

Nyamata

$75 13.3% 10.5% $8.8

Accommodation & Living

Gisenyi

$50 11%

Nyamata

$68 11.9% 36.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Gisenyi

$40 8.8%

Nyamata

$40 7.1% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Gisenyi

$13 * 2.9%

Nyamata

$43 * 7.6% 235% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Gisenyi

$6.9 * 1.5%

Nyamata

$106 18.7% 1435% $99

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $293 in Gisenyi versus $100.0 in Nyamata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Gisenyi versus $12.00 in Nyamata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $126 – making Nyamata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Gisenyi

🇷🇼 Nyamata

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

Same time as Gisenyi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,357

21,509

💱 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

Gisenyi Nyamata 110 km

From you

Gisenyi
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

Gisenyi vs Nyamata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nyamata costs about 26% more than Gisenyi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $679 per month in Gisenyi and $853 in Nyamata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gisenyi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Gisenyi and $12.00 in Nyamata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Nyamata – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $453 in Gisenyi and $569 in Nyamata, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gisenyi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gisenyi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nyamata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.