Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Butare Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Butare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $472 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $726 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $981 in Butare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 369% more expensive than Butare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Butare is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$1.76 RWF 2,562

803.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$20.44 RWF 29.8K

216.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.50 RWF 8,029

91.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.79 RWF 2,614

60.34%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.53 RWF 776

322.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.33 RWF 487

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.67 RWF 977

420.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.07 RWF 1,556

262.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.39 RWF 570

192.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.98 RWF 1,437

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.92 RWF 1,343

91.30%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.41 RWF 2,051

128.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$2.22 RWF 3,237

507.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.08 RWF 4,499

156.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$2.78 RWF 4,058

470.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.25 RWF 3,283

2.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.90 RWF 1,315

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.18 RWF 1,725

70.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.78 RWF 1,133

215.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.31 RWF 458

493.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.44 RWF 635

354.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.35 RWF 510

451.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.54 RWF 786

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.24 RWF 1,805

433.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.24 RWF 14.9K

-44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.90 RWF 1,308

52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.42 RWF 2,075

109.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 RWF 427

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$9.54 RWF 13.9K

377.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.13 RWF 3,101

101.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.91 RWF 1,334

-9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.79 RWF 5,536

382.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.79 RWF 1,145

160.76%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$16.9K RWF 24.7M

102.78%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$8,720 RWF 12.7M

350.60%

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

$148 €127

$36.33 RWF 53.0K

307.02%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.67 RWF 12.7K

136.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$17.71 RWF 25.8K

123.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$25.92 RWF 37.8K

84.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$5.70 RWF 8,317

231.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.53 RWF 5,146

160.06%

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

$614 €528

$93.8 RWF 136.9K

554.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,335 RWF 1.9M

1102.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$13.88 RWF 20.2K

654.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$19.49 RWF 28.4K

115.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$24.15 RWF 35.2K

289.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$31.20 RWF 45.5K

283.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$207 RWF 301.4K

687.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$136 RWF 198.8K

821.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$312 RWF 454.5K

872.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$239 RWF 348.8K

744.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

16.2

-76.48%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Butare: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $207 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $20.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $116 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 369% lower than in Lisbon. 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 $3,315 in Lisbon and $707 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $207 in Butare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Butare – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $472 in Butare – a 369% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $472 in Butare versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $472 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Butare 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 Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 369% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.