Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kigali and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kigali: $881 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kigali
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Kigali Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$881

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kigali and in Bucharest

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 Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $881 in Kigali versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Kigali $881
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,376 in Kigali versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Kigali $1,376
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,871 in Kigali versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Kigali $1,871
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Kigali costs roughly 35% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kigali is 34% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 RWF 4,037

$14.46 RON 68.4

-80.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.32 RWF 44.6K

$57.7 RON 273

-47.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 RWF 9,895

$7.50 RON 35.46

-10.27%

Cappuccino

$2.45 RWF 3,599

$3.43 RON 16.20

-28.57%

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

$0.76 RWF 1,112

$2.46 RON 11.63

-69.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 RWF 803

$2.33 RON 11.01

-76.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 RWF 1,471

$3.80 RON 17.97

-73.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 RWF 3,435

$4.10 RON 19.41

-42.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 RWF 1,204

$1.65 RON 7.79

-50.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RWF 1,577

$1.35 RON 6.39

-20.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 RWF 1,935

$1.78 RON 8.42

-25.84%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,354

$3.66 RON 17.33

-56.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.19 RWF 6,162

$8.57 RON 40.54

-51.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 RWF 6,878

$6.80 RON 32.17

-31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.51 RWF 6,631

$11.72 RON 55.4

-61.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 RWF 3,601

$1.29 RON 6.11

89.92%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 RWF 1,093

$1.56 RON 7.37

-52.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RWF 2,263

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 RWF 1,564

$2.48 RON 11.75

-57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 RWF 719

$0.83 RON 3.92

-40.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RWF 1,050

$0.80 RON 3.77

-11.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 RWF 1,024

$0.84 RON 3.98

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RWF 1,204

$0.93 RON 4.39

-11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 RWF 2,897

$6.44 RON 30.45

-69.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 RWF 15.1K

$6.32 RON 29.91

62.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RWF 1,468

$1.26 RON 5.94

-20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RWF 2,342

$1.60 RON 7.59

-0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 516

$0.81 RON 3.85

-56.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.24 RWF 37.1K

$21.13 RON 99.9

19.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 RWF 3,920

$0.60 RON 2.86

345.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 RWF 2,957

$0.61 RON 2.91

229.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 RWF 4,869

$6.17 RON 29.19

-46.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RWF 2,702

$1.96 RON 9.27

-6.12%

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

$26.5K RWF 38.9M

$28.1K RON 133.1K

-5.94%

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

$29.1K RWF 42.7M

$26.3K RON 124.3K

10.54%

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

$82.6 RWF 121.5K

$197 RON 931

-58.02%

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

$7.06 RWF 10.4K

$8.34 RON 39.44

-15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 RWF 30.6K

$9.19 RON 43.47

126.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.26 RWF 38.6K

$49.87 RON 236

-47.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.16 RWF 6,115

$24.99 RON 118

-83.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.49 RWF 5,126

$8.46 RON 40.01

-58.75%

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

$112 RWF 164.1K

$639 RON 3,023

-82.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,532 RWF 14.0M

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-33.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.17 RWF 25.2K

$90.6 RON 429

-81.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.74 RWF 23.1K

$38.05 RON 180

-58.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.31 RWF 32.8K

$79.7 RON 377

-71.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.12 RWF 50.2K

$93.2 RON 441

-63.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 RWF 984.8K

$673 RON 3,184

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 RWF 604.6K

$449 RON 2,123

-8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 RWF 2.0M

$1,098 RON 5,195

23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 RWF 1.2M

$729 RON 3,448

14.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,404 RWF 5.0M

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-8.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,062 RWF 4.5M

$2,189 RON 10.4K

39.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 RWF 404.6K

$1,323 RON 6,259

-79.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

6.74

140.36%

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

Last update for Kigali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kigali

$411 47.1%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 9.1% $38

Groceries & Markets

Kigali

$153 17.5%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 45.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kigali

$111 12.7%

Bucharest

$214 16% 94% $104

Eating Out

Kigali

$86 9.9%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 161% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Kigali

$40 4.6%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 238% $95

Getting Around

Kigali

$39 4.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 28.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kigali

$33 3.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 101% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $670 in Kigali and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 381% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Kigali vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $222 per month, with Kigali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Kigali

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

1 h ahead of Kigali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,132,686 Capital

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.07 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,470 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,649 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.07 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kigali Bucharest 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kigali
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali and Bucharest differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($881 vs $1,351 including rent). Kigali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 381% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $670 in Kigali versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $881 per month in Kigali versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kigali runs roughly 19% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $881 in Kigali versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kigali but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kigali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kigali and Bucharest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kigali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.