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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $370 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $580 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $790 in Butare.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 526% more expensive than in Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Butare is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$2.41 RWF 3,540

617.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$27.71 RWF 40.6K

128.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$6.87 RWF 10.1K

65.79%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.33 RWF 3,416

36.91%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.82 RWF 1,204

198.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.51 RWF 750

245.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.00 RWF 1,464

259.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.57 RWF 3,769

31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.35 RWF 519

254.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.83 RWF 1,224

138.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.94 RWF 1,376

61.70%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.62 RWF 2,371

149.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$1.68 RWF 2,463

705.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$2.36 RWF 3,462

255.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$3.04 RWF 4,450

500.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.01 RWF 2,949

13.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.89 RWF 1,302

95.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.18 RWF 1,729

57.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.78 RWF 1,146

237.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.40 RWF 580

380.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.26 RWF 380

703.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.14 RWF 208

928.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.85 RWF 1,242

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.07 RWF 3,035

227.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.39 RWF 15.2K

-45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.89 RWF 1,307

55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.60 RWF 2,346

38.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.77 RWF 4,059

50.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.98 RWF 2,907

-42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.38 RWF 4,958

423.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.78 RWF 2,606

30.34%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$26.3K RWF 38.6M

34.21%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$29.4K RWF 43.2M

40.75%

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

$170 €146

$84.4 RWF 123.8K

101.79%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$7.14 RWF 10.5K

170.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$21.42 RWF 31.4K

57.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$3.47 RWF 5,094

185.88%

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

$717 €617

$112 RWF 164.4K

539.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,769 RWF 9.9M

158.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$17.18 RWF 25.2K

509.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$15.47 RWF 22.7K

203.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$22.16 RWF 32.5K

366.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$34.10 RWF 50.0K

263.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

16.2

-76.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Butare: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $113 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 526% 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 $3,474 in Lisbon and $555 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 150% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $370 in Butare – a 526% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $370 in Butare versus $2,316 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 $370 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 526% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.