Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kigali and Butare

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $369 a month against $881 in Kigali, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Kigali
Learn more

Kigali Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
Learn more

Butare Living Index

Jump to prices

Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$881

/mo nomad

Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kigali and in Butare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $881 in Kigali versus $369 in Butare.

Kigali $881
Butare $369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,373 in Kigali versus $589 in Butare.

Kigali $1,373
Butare $589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Kigali versus $809 in Butare.

Kigali $1,865
Butare $809

Living in Kigali is roughly 139% more expensive than in Butare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kigali 35% lower, Butare 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 RWF 4,030

$2.74 RWF 4,025

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 RWF 45.6K

$30.44 RWF 44.8K

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 RWF 10.1K

$6.82 RWF 10.0K

1.03%

Cappuccino

$2.44 RWF 3,586

$2.39 RWF 3,522

2.09%

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

$0.80 RWF 1,170

$0.81 RWF 1,189

-1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 857

$0.55 RWF 807

5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 RWF 1,525

$1.05 RWF 1,544

-0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 RWF 3,555

$2.35 RWF 3,461

2.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 RWF 1,255

$0.33 RWF 481

157.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RWF 1,506

$0.83 RWF 1,214

22.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 RWF 1,931

$0.99 RWF 1,460

32.32%

Eggs

$1.68 RWF 2,469

$1.60 RWF 2,358

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 RWF 6,046

$1.64 RWF 2,413

150.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 RWF 6,804

$2.42 RWF 3,565

91.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.43 RWF 6,523

$3.02 RWF 4,450

46.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 RWF 3,569

$2.00 RWF 2,943

21.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,132

$0.77 RWF 1,126

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RWF 2,284

$1.18 RWF 1,739

31.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 RWF 1,585

$0.83 RWF 1,226

30.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 RWF 702

$0.42 RWF 622

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RWF 1,040

$0.26 RWF 380

173.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 RWF 971

$0.14 RWF 206

371.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RWF 1,172

$0.85 RWF 1,253

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 RWF 2,915

$2.00 RWF 2,936

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 RWF 14.9K

$10.12 RWF 14.9K

-0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RWF 1,529

$0.98 RWF 1,445

6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 RWF 2,265

$1.56 RWF 2,299

-1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 516

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.84 RWF 38.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 RWF 4,059

$2.69 RWF 3,950

2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 RWF 2,915

$2.01 RWF 2,951

-1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 RWF 5,024

$3.42 RWF 5,024

-0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 RWF 2,770

$1.84 RWF 2,700

2.17%

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

$26.3K RWF 38.7M

$25.6K RWF 37.7M

2.77%

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

$29.9K RWF 44.0M

$29.2K RWF 42.9M

2.54%

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

$83.6 RWF 123.0K

$82.6 RWF 121.5K

1.22%

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

$6.96 RWF 10.2K

$7.03 RWF 10.3K

-1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.33 RWF 31.4K

$21.06 RWF 31.0K

1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.27 RWF 43.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.15 RWF 6,109

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 RWF 5,102

$3.30 RWF 4,859

5.15%

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

$111 RWF 163.4K

$112 RWF 165.5K

-1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.52 RWF 25.8K

$17.51 RWF 25.8K

0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.25 RWF 22.4K

$15.43 RWF 22.7K

-1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

$22.09 RWF 32.5K

-0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.75 RWF 49.6K

$33.89 RWF 49.9K

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 RWF 988.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 RWF 610.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 RWF 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 RWF 1.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,389 RWF 5.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 RWF 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 RWF 410.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

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

Last update for Kigali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Butare: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kigali

$415 47.1%

Butare

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kigali

$151 17.2%

Butare

$112 30.5% 25.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kigali

$112 12.7%

Butare

$111 30% 1.1% $1.2

Eating Out

Kigali

$87 9.9%

Butare

$86 23.4% 1.1% $0.9

Getting Around

Kigali

$40 4.5%

Butare

$13 * 3.5% 68.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Kigali

$40 4.5%

Butare

$40 10.9% 0.4% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Kigali

$36 4.1%

Butare

$6.6 * 1.8% 81.7% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31 in Kigali vs $30 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $112 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Kigali

🇷🇼 Butare

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

Same time as Kigali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,132,686 Capital

62,823

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kigali Butare 81 km

From you

Kigali
Butare

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 Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Kigali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,322 in Kigali and $553 in Butare to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Kigali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $881 per month in Kigali versus $369 in Butare – Butare is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $369 in Butare versus $881 in Kigali, a $800 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Kigali. The gap between the two cities makes Butare 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 Butare are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.