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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $788 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,231 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,673 in Kigali.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 191% more expensive than in Kigali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kigali is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.06 RWF 5,940

298.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$27.39 RWF 40.1K

131.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.63 RWF 9,698

55.66%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.15 RWF 3,137

31.63%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.81 RWF 1,184

182.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.56 RWF 825

182.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.03 RWF 1,501

230.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.06 RWF 3,010

95.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.66 RWF 959

65.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.07 RWF 1,566

63.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.27 RWF 1,859

38.58%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.66 RWF 2,425

90.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$4.21 RWF 6,150

213.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.48 RWF 6,547

77.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$3.66 RWF 5,359

324.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.41 RWF 3,525

-1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.00 RWF 1,462

71.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.49 RWF 2,177

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.10 RWF 1,606

120.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.52 RWF 762

238.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.81 RWF 1,188

150.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.47 RWF 693

308.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.80 RWF 1,166

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.78 RWF 2,598

269.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.03 RWF 14.7K

-44.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.89 RWF 1,300

49.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.77 RWF 2,595

67.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.34 RWF 493

570.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$27.87 RWF 40.7K

64.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.16 RWF 4,622

33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.39 RWF 2,036

-41.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$3.86 RWF 5,647

377.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 RWF 1,732

76.27%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$26.7K RWF 39.1M

29.73%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.8K RWF 43.6M

31.22%

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

$148 €130

$45.93 RWF 67.2K

222.34%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.60 RWF 12.6K

137.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$17.77 RWF 26.0K

122.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$28.54 RWF 41.7K

68.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$3.88 RWF 5,680

379.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.38 RWF 4,940

172.78%

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

$616 €540

$156 RWF 228.3K

294.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,189 RWF 7.6M

216.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$17.23 RWF 25.2K

496.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.22 RWF 28.1K

117.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$24.61 RWF 36.0K

285.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$31.38 RWF 45.9K

288.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$573 RWF 837.5K

185.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$352 RWF 515.3K

249.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,095 RWF 1.6M

182.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$691 RWF 1.0M

194.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,380 RWF 4.9M

131.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

47.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$300 RWF 438.9K

435.56%

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 Kigali: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $573 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 436% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 191% 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.

Average pay runs 436% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $573 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% 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 $27.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Kigali versus $2,291 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 $788 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 191% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.