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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $471 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $726 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $982 in Butare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 386% more expensive than in Butare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Butare is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$1.71 RWF 2,506

846.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$20.44 RWF 29.9K

209.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.46 RWF 7,987

89.01%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.76 RWF 2,572

60.80%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.54 RWF 792

324.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.37 RWF 534

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.67 RWF 975

407.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.02 RWF 1,488

295.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.39 RWF 573

179.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.96 RWF 1,407

82.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.97 RWF 1,420

81.44%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.41 RWF 2,059

124.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$2.27 RWF 3,318

481.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$3.09 RWF 4,515

157.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$2.80 RWF 4,091

454.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.21 RWF 3,227

7.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.90 RWF 1,315

90.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.16 RWF 1,699

73.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.78 RWF 1,141

211.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.34 RWF 501

417.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.46 RWF 679

341.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.37 RWF 543

418.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.58 RWF 848

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.21 RWF 1,763

443.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.33 RWF 15.1K

-45.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.89 RWF 1,306

49.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.35 RWF 1,979

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.27 RWF 394

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$9.95 RWF 14.5K

360.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.05 RWF 2,998

106.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.87 RWF 1,275

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.91 RWF 5,721

371.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.72 RWF 1,051

188.89%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$16.9K RWF 24.7M

104.93%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$8,545 RWF 12.5M

358.28%

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

$148 €130

$36.75 RWF 53.7K

302.86%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.73 RWF 12.8K

134.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$17.81 RWF 26.0K

122.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$25.48 RWF 37.3K

88.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$5.62 RWF 8,223

230.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$3.44 RWF 5,029

168.02%

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

$616 €539

$94.6 RWF 138.3K

551.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,331 RWF 1.9M

1135.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$13.72 RWF 20.1K

648.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$19.68 RWF 28.8K

112.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$23.88 RWF 34.9K

296.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$31.78 RWF 46.5K

283.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$209 RWF 304.9K

682.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$137 RWF 200.7K

798.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$308 RWF 450.8K

904.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$238 RWF 348.7K

751.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Butare: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $209 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $20.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $117 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 386% 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 $3,437 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $209 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $471 in Butare – a 386% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $471 in Butare versus $2,291 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 $471 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 386% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.