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: $1,717 in Italy versus $500 in Rwanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $799 in Rwanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $1,098 in Rwanda.

Living in Italy is roughly 243% more expensive than Rwanda on average.

Italy (28% above) and Rwanda (63% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $366–$781 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.00

$3.39 RWF 4,951

414.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$27.47 RWF 40.1K

189.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$6.04 RWF 8,814

94.70%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$2.17 RWF 3,162

-7.83%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$0.84 RWF 1,232

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.49 RWF 721

175.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$1.06 RWF 1,543

460.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$1.99 RWF 2,903

169.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.66 RWF 967

148.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.04 RWF 1,511

131.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.21 RWF 1,770

147.11%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$1.60 RWF 2,334

147.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.49

$3.87 RWF 5,643

335.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.69

$4.02 RWF 5,861

209.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.46

$3.58 RWF 5,216

466.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.68 RWF 3,915

-7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$0.88 RWF 1,280

144.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.46 RWF 2,129

81.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$1.00 RWF 1,465

240.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.47 RWF 681

308.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.81 RWF 1,179

123.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.40 RWF 587

287.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.78 RWF 1,136

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.84

$1.70 RWF 2,476

299.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$10.24 RWF 14.9K

-29.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.97 RWF 1,408

85.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.63 RWF 2,378

48.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.34 RWF 496

488.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.43

$27.67 RWF 40.4K

53.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.70 RWF 3,937

120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.22 RWF 1,777

23.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.28

$4.26 RWF 6,217

699.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.13 RWF 1,647

81.42%

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

$32.8K €28.2K

$24.1K RWF 35.2M

36.05%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$22.6K RWF 32.9M

49.17%

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

$225 €194

$50.1 RWF 73.1K

349.83%

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

$13.25 €11.40

$9.44 RWF 13.8K

40.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.62

$21.31 RWF 31.1K

45.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.95

$31.45 RWF 45.9K

77.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.63

$4.28 RWF 6,249

487.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$3.54 RWF 5,159

189.55%

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

$576 €495

$138 RWF 201.1K

317.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,998

$4,359 RWF 6.4M

139.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.0

$18.98 RWF 27.7K

383.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.03

$23.10 RWF 33.7K

76.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.3

$27.73 RWF 40.5K

253.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$34.43 RWF 50.2K

279.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$425 RWF 620.5K

102.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €573

$291 RWF 425.1K

128.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,269

$886 RWF 1.3M

66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €935

$566 RWF 825.5K

92.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,312

$3,367 RWF 4.9M

14.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,036 RWF 4.4M

-22.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,663

$281 RWF 409.7K

588.39%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $264 in Rwanda. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $568 in Kigali.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $244 in Rwanda. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 270% more in Italy.

Public transport is 214% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 699% higher in Italy, giving Italy stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,839 per month in Italy and $574 in Rwanda, there's a 221% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rwanda is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.