Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kigali and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Kigali: $877 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Kigali
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Kigali Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$877

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kigali and in Belgrade

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

A single person spends $877 per month in Kigali vs $1,541 in Belgrade, rent included.

Kigali $877
Belgrade $1,541

A couple spends around $1,377 per month in Kigali vs $2,351 in Belgrade, rent included.

Kigali $1,377
Belgrade $2,351

A family of three spends $1,877 per month in Kigali vs $3,161 in Belgrade, rent included.

Kigali $1,877
Belgrade $3,161

Kigali is about 43% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kigali sits 35% below the global median, while Belgrade is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 RWF 4,341

$13.43 RSD 1,398

-78.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.00 RWF 44.1K

$58.0 RSD 6,036

-48.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 RWF 9,894

$13.30 RSD 1,384

-49.47%

Cappuccino

$2.33 RWF 3,430

$3.05 RSD 317

-23.61%

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

$0.75 RWF 1,107

$2.82 RSD 293

-73.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 RWF 801

$2.28 RSD 238

-76.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 RWF 1,456

$3.66 RSD 381

-72.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RWF 3,406

$4.18 RSD 435

-44.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 RWF 1,280

$1.41 RSD 147

-38.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 RWF 1,590

$1.16 RSD 121

-6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 RWF 1,970

$2.53 RSD 263

-47.04%

Eggs

$1.65 RWF 2,423

$2.80 RSD 292

-41.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.03 RWF 5,937

$10.93 RSD 1,137

-63.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 RWF 6,556

$6.80 RSD 708

-34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.77 RWF 7,015

$15.40 RSD 1,603

-69.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 RWF 3,495

$1.63 RSD 170

46.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 RWF 1,181

$1.75 RSD 182

-54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 RWF 2,208

$1.78 RSD 186

-15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 RWF 1,563

$3.04 RSD 316

-65.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 RWF 697

$0.97 RSD 101

-51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 RWF 1,037

$0.65 RSD 67.7

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 RWF 949

$0.74 RSD 77.2

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RWF 1,158

$0.72 RSD 75.3

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 RWF 2,955

$4.53 RSD 471

-55.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 RWF 14.8K

$8.25 RSD 858

21.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RWF 1,520

$0.86 RSD 89.8

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 RWF 2,242

$1.43 RSD 148

6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 RWF 477

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.09 RWF 36.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 RWF 3,973

$3.10 RSD 323

-12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 RWF 2,947

$0.98 RSD 102

104.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 RWF 5,431

$17.10 RSD 1,780

-78.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RWF 2,857

$1.87 RSD 195

3.74%

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

$26.2K RWF 38.5M

$30.9K RSD 3.2M

-15.21%

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

$30.2K RWF 44.4M

$24.1K RSD 2.5M

25.38%

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

$83.5 RWF 122.8K

$215 RSD 22.4K

-61.13%

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

$6.83 RWF 10.1K

$25.55 RSD 2,659

-73.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 RWF 30.7K

$35.40 RSD 3,685

-41.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.41 RWF 43.3K

$40.62 RSD 4,228

-27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.28 RWF 6,301

$22.74 RSD 2,367

-81.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 RWF 5,057

$7.99 RSD 832

-56.95%

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

$114 RWF 167.7K

$453 RSD 47.2K

-74.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K RWF 24.1M

$12.4K RSD 1.3M

32.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.62 RWF 25.9K

$112 RSD 11.6K

-84.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.77 RWF 23.2K

$47.56 RSD 4,951

-66.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.14 RWF 32.6K

$114 RSD 11.8K

-80.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.90 RWF 49.9K

$147 RSD 15.3K

-76.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 RWF 991.7K

$829 RSD 86.3K

-18.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 RWF 607.4K

$540 RSD 56.2K

-23.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 RWF 2.0M

$1,508 RSD 157.0K

-8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 RWF 1.3M

$975 RSD 101.5K

-11.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,344 RWF 4.9M

$5,059 RSD 526.6K

-33.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,067 RWF 4.5M

$3,171 RSD 330.1K

-3.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 RWF 408.1K

$1,276 RSD 132.8K

-78.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

4.5

260.00%

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

Last update for Kigali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kigali

$413 47%

Belgrade

$540 35.1% 30.9% $128

Groceries & Markets

Kigali

$151 17.2%

Belgrade

$241 15.6% 59% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kigali

$111 12.7%

Belgrade

$276 17.9% 148% $165

Eating Out

Kigali

$87 9.9%

Belgrade

$231 15% 167% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Kigali

$40 4.6%

Belgrade

$189 12.3% 369% $149

Getting Around

Kigali

$39 4.5%

Belgrade

$8 * 0.5% 79.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Kigali

$36 4.1%

Belgrade

$57 3.7% 56% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $674 in Kigali versus $829 in Belgrade. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Belgrade are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Kigali versus $58 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $241 – making Kigali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Kigali

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

22:16 10:16 PM

1 h behind Kigali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,132,686 Capital

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.61 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,472 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,652 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.61 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.56 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kigali Belgrade 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kigali
Belgrade

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

Kigali vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $877 in Kigali, $1,541 in Belgrade – Kigali comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,316 per month in Kigali and $2,312 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kigali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $674 there versus $829 in Belgrade.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Kigali and $58 in Belgrade. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Belgrade, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $877 in Kigali and $1,541 in Belgrade. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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