Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Rwanda Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Rwanda

Name: Rwanda
Address: RW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $503 in Rwanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $802 in Rwanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $1,101 in Rwanda.

Living in Italy is roughly 242% more expensive than in Rwanda on average.

Italy (29% above) and Rwanda (62% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $369–$788 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.38

$3.44 RWF 5,029

411.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.1

$27.85 RWF 40.7K

196.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.25

$6.16 RWF 9,007

90.26%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$2.25 RWF 3,293

-14.67%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$0.86 RWF 1,253

247.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.53 RWF 778

156.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$1.03 RWF 1,501

459.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$2.01 RWF 2,945

159.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.69 RWF 1,010

144.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.03 RWF 1,506

126.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.21 RWF 1,764

152.07%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$1.62 RWF 2,367

146.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.59

$3.92 RWF 5,733

325.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.00

$3.98 RWF 5,822

215.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.96

$3.47 RWF 5,079

491.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$2.64 RWF 3,865

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$0.82 RWF 1,206

168.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$1.38 RWF 2,016

94.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$1.04 RWF 1,527

224.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.46 RWF 672

343.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.76 RWF 1,116

147.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.41 RWF 592

258.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.78 RWF 1,139

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.12

$1.70 RWF 2,492

311.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.20

$10.29 RWF 15.0K

-31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.02 RWF 1,492

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.71 RWF 2,500

46.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.33 RWF 488

493.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.38

$28.12 RWF 41.1K

47.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$2.70 RWF 3,953

114.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.23 RWF 1,796

30.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.68

$4.19 RWF 6,133

736.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.14 RWF 1,667

86.84%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$24.3K RWF 35.6M

33.94%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$22.5K RWF 32.9M

50.37%

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

$225 €197

$48.81 RWF 71.4K

360.91%

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

$13.14 €11.50

$9.29 RWF 13.6K

41.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.29

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

47.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.0

$31.33 RWF 45.8K

82.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.61

$4.35 RWF 6,365

494.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$3.38 RWF 4,950

205.92%

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

$564 €493

$138 RWF 201.4K

309.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,047

$4,312 RWF 6.3M

139.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.4

$18.96 RWF 27.7K

384.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.47

$23.13 RWF 33.8K

75.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €85.9

$28.23 RWF 41.3K

247.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$34.21 RWF 50.0K

286.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €748

$427 RWF 624.8K

100.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €580

$281 RWF 410.9K

136.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,332

$853 RWF 1.2M

78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €953

$559 RWF 817.1K

94.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,278

$3,429 RWF 5.0M

9.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,011

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

-22.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,659

$284 RWF 415.8K

567.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

16.43

-73.16%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $266 in Rwanda. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $573 in Kigali.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $242 in Rwanda. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 179% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 270% more in Italy.

Public transport is 214% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 690% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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

Italy vs Rwanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $579 in Rwanda, there's a 215% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Rwanda: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Rwanda across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Rwanda, $800 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Rwanda wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.