Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kigali and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kigali: $881 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$881

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kigali and in Tbilisi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $881 in Kigali versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Kigali $881
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,373 in Kigali versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Kigali $1,373
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Kigali versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Kigali $1,865
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Kigali costs roughly 31% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kigali 35% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 RWF 4,030

$11.63 ₾30.07

-76.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 RWF 45.6K

$37.83 ₾97.8

-18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 RWF 10.1K

$9.66 ₾24.98

-28.67%

Cappuccino

$2.44 RWF 3,586

$3.57 ₾9.24

-31.65%

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

$0.80 RWF 1,170

$1.08 ₾2.78

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 857

$0.56 ₾1.45

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 RWF 1,525

$2.62 ₾6.78

-60.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 RWF 3,555

$3.04 ₾7.85

-20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 RWF 1,255

$2.17 ₾5.60

-60.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RWF 1,506

$0.80 ₾2.06

27.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 RWF 1,931

$1.74 ₾4.51

-24.71%

Eggs

$1.68 RWF 2,469

$2.83 ₾7.31

-40.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 RWF 6,046

$9.31 ₾24.07

-55.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 RWF 6,804

$6.52 ₾16.85

-28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.43 RWF 6,523

$12.95 ₾33.50

-65.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 RWF 3,569

$1.68 ₾4.34

44.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,132

$1.85 ₾4.79

-58.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RWF 2,284

$1.97 ₾5.10

-21.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 RWF 1,585

$2.42 ₾6.25

-55.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 RWF 702

$0.82 ₾2.11

-41.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RWF 1,040

$0.74 ₾1.91

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 RWF 971

$1.34 ₾3.47

-50.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RWF 1,172

$0.77 ₾2.00

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 RWF 2,915

$3.57 ₾9.24

-44.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 RWF 14.9K

$7.67 ₾19.83

31.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RWF 1,529

$1.70 ₾4.39

-38.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 RWF 2,265

$2.40 ₾6.21

-35.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 516

$0.40 ₾1.05

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.84 RWF 38.0K

$15.23 ₾39.38

69.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 RWF 4,059

$1.14 ₾2.95

142.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 RWF 2,915

$0.78 ₾2.02

153.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 RWF 5,024

$11.83 ₾30.58

-71.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 RWF 2,770

$1.45 ₾3.75

29.66%

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

$26.3K RWF 38.7M

$24.6K ₾63.6K

7.06%

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

$29.9K RWF 44.0M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

33.91%

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

$83.6 RWF 123.0K

$88.8 ₾230

-5.82%

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

$6.96 RWF 10.2K

$13.12 ₾33.93

-46.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.33 RWF 31.4K

$19.67 ₾50.9

8.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.27 RWF 43.1K

$64.1 ₾166

-54.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.15 RWF 6,109

$19.04 ₾49.24

-78.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 RWF 5,102

$7.12 ₾18.42

-51.26%

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

$111 RWF 163.4K

$375 ₾971

-70.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

$10.5K ₾27.1K

-9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.52 RWF 25.8K

$104 ₾268

-83.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.25 RWF 22.4K

$39.26 ₾102

-61.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

$117 ₾303

-81.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.75 RWF 49.6K

$122 ₾315

-72.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 RWF 988.3K

$695 ₾1,798

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 RWF 610.0K

$451 ₾1,167

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 RWF 2.0M

$1,355 ₾3,504

0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 RWF 1.2M

$906 ₾2,343

-7.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,389 RWF 5.0M

$2,295 ₾5,934

47.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 RWF 4.5M

$1,345 ₾3,478

128.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 RWF 410.7K

$664 ₾1,718

-57.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

12.62

28.37%

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

Last update for Kigali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kigali

$415 47.1%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 8.8% $36

Groceries & Markets

Kigali

$151 17.2%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 54.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kigali

$112 12.7%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 8.6% $9.7

Eating Out

Kigali

$87 9.9%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 118% $103

Getting Around

Kigali

$40 4.5%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 45.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Kigali

$40 4.5%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 331% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Kigali

$36 4.1%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 116% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Kigali and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Kigali vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $234 per month, with Kigali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Kigali

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

2 h ahead of Kigali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,132,686 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,471 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,638 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kigali Tbilisi 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kigali
Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kigali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Kigali. 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: $672 in Kigali versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kigali – a meal for two runs $31 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Kigali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kigali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kigali and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kigali wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.