Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kigali Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kigali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $781 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,219 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,658 in Kigali.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 183% more expensive than Kigali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Kigali is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$4.25 RWF 6,202

274.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$28.20 RWF 41.1K

129.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$6.43 RWF 9,386

63.45%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.15 RWF 3,142

33.49%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.83 RWF 1,207

169.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.52 RWF 756

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$1.02 RWF 1,482

242.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.11 RWF 3,082

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.70 RWF 1,026

62.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.07 RWF 1,560

63.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.24 RWF 1,816

41.94%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.69 RWF 2,468

90.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$4.21 RWF 6,144

220.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$4.32 RWF 6,303

83.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$3.69 RWF 5,385

330.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.39 RWF 3,483

-3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.02 RWF 1,482

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.43 RWF 2,084

40.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.10 RWF 1,606

123.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.48 RWF 707

283.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.78 RWF 1,134

156.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.51 RWF 744

278.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.75 RWF 1,090

5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$1.76 RWF 2,565

275.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$10.36 RWF 15.1K

-44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.95 RWF 1,389

44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.78 RWF 2,598

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.37 RWF 533

540.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$27.51 RWF 40.1K

65.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$3.06 RWF 4,460

40.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.40 RWF 2,039

-41.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$3.92 RWF 5,718

366.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.18 RWF 1,728

74.58%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$26.6K RWF 38.8M

28.85%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$30.1K RWF 43.9M

30.55%

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

$148 €128

$46.68 RWF 68.1K

216.77%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$8.59 RWF 12.5K

138.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$17.98 RWF 26.2K

120.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$28.78 RWF 42.0K

66.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$3.73 RWF 5,436

407.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$3.43 RWF 5,009

167.64%

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

$614 €533

$152 RWF 222.1K

303.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$5,049 RWF 7.4M

217.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$17.23 RWF 25.1K

507.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

113.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$23.90 RWF 34.9K

293.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$31.15 RWF 45.4K

284.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$568 RWF 829.1K

186.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$357 RWF 521.1K

251.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$1,077 RWF 1.6M

181.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$696 RWF 1.0M

190.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$3,400 RWF 5.0M

129.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$3,028 RWF 4.4M

41.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$303 RWF 442.5K

428.79%

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 Kigali: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $568 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 429% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $147 per month, with Kigali 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 Kigali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 183% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kigali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 429% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $568 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Lisbon. 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 $28.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Kigali versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kigali but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kigali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kigali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $781 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kigali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kigali 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 Kigali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.