Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Rwanda

Name: Rwanda
Address: RW

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $811 in Rwanda, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Rwanda
Learn more

Rwanda Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $811 in Rwanda.

India $399
Rwanda $811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,311 in Rwanda.

India $639
Rwanda $1,311

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,810 in Rwanda.

India $879
Rwanda $1,810

India ($230–$813) and Rwanda ($369–$881) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in India costs about 51% less than in Rwanda on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Rwanda 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹204

$3.02 RWF 4,448

-29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹996

$24.94 RWF 36.7K

-58.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹362

$6.87 RWF 10.1K

-44.69%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹160

$2.27 RWF 3,336

-25.99%

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

$0.38 ₹36.05

$0.80 RWF 1,176

-52.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.63

$0.54 RWF 793

-72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹178

$0.98 RWF 1,445

90.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹303

$2.06 RWF 3,030

54.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.3

$0.85 RWF 1,247

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.84

$1.03 RWF 1,512

-51.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$1.24 RWF 1,831

-49.19%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.4

$1.59 RWF 2,333

-39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹462

$4.02 RWF 5,914

20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹271

$4.35 RWF 6,407

-34.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.15 RWF 6,111

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹191

$2.76 RWF 4,065

-27.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.5

$0.84 RWF 1,229

-22.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.4

$1.56 RWF 2,288

-37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.37

$0.98 RWF 1,446

-52.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.92

$0.47 RWF 686

-27.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.79

$0.80 RWF 1,178

-47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.46

$0.49 RWF 727

-4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.72

$0.80 RWF 1,179

-61.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹484

$2.00 RWF 2,944

154.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹696

$9.95 RWF 14.6K

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹155

$1.11 RWF 1,640

46.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹263

$1.52 RWF 2,243

81.58%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.89

$0.36 RWF 524

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹817

$26.57 RWF 39.1K

-67.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.8

$2.79 RWF 4,106

-64.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.78

$1.98 RWF 2,911

-86.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$3.44 RWF 5,067

-55.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.80 RWF 2,648

-40.56%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$26.2K RWF 38.5M

-57.16%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$23.2K RWF 34.2M

-13.68%

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

$37.08 ₹3,532

$83.3 RWF 122.5K

-55.48%

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

$3.58 ₹341

$7.62 RWF 11.2K

-53.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹681

$20.87 RWF 30.7K

-65.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,429

$31.13 RWF 45.8K

-51.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹683

$4.13 RWF 6,079

73.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹304

$3.31 RWF 4,875

-3.32%

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

$58.8 ₹5,601

$133 RWF 195.2K

-55.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.7K

$9,517 RWF 14.0M

-82.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,194

$20.58 RWF 30.3K

11.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,302

$17.16 RWF 25.2K

40.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,924

$27.09 RWF 39.9K

52.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,821

$35.62 RWF 52.4K

-16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹14.0K

$601 RWF 883.9K

-75.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,178

$340 RWF 500.0K

-71.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.7K

$1,290 RWF 1.9M

-73.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.3K

$802 RWF 1.2M

-70.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹112.1K

$3,440 RWF 5.1M

-65.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.3K

$2,986 RWF 4.4M

-78.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.9K

$290 RWF 426.8K

40.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

16.2

-44.88%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Rwanda

$149 18.4% 46.2% $47

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Rwanda

$340 41.9% 253% $244

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Rwanda

$86 10.7% 29.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Rwanda

$45 5.6% 14.9% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Rwanda

$112 13.8% 134% $64

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Rwanda

$38 4.7% 76.5% $16

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Rwanda

$41 5% 240% $29

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $354 in Rwanda. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $672 in Kigali.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $232 in Rwanda. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 195% higher in Rwanda.

Dining out costs 118% more in Rwanda.

Public transport is 250% more expensive in Rwanda.

Salaries are 78% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇷🇼 Rwanda

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

3 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

13,246,394

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.42 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RWF, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 95.25 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.42 EUR).

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 1,471 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,640 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.1 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

India Rwanda 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

India
Rwanda

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

India vs Rwanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $811 in Rwanda, India comes out about 51% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $354 in Rwanda and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.