Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lubumbashi and Bukavu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukavu: $679 a month against $1,228 in Lubumbashi, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
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Lubumbashi Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Bukavu
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Bukavu Living Index

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Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Bukavu

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$679

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lubumbashi and in Bukavu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lubumbashi and in Bukavu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Lubumbashi vs $679 in Bukavu, rent included.

Lubumbashi $1,228
Bukavu $679

A couple spends around $2,727 per month in Lubumbashi vs $1,102 in Bukavu, rent included.

Lubumbashi $2,727
Bukavu $1,102

A family of three spends $4,226 per month in Lubumbashi vs $1,525 in Bukavu, rent included.

Lubumbashi $4,226
Bukavu $1,525

Lubumbashi costs about 81% more than Bukavu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lubumbashi and Bukavu are more affordable than the global median – Lubumbashi 9% lower, Bukavu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

$7.31 CDF 16.6K

35.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

$14.75 CDF 33.4K

572.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

$4.93 CDF 11.2K

101.22%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CDF 9,131

$3.90 CDF 8,840

3.33%

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

$1.08 CDF 2,458

$1.52 CDF 3,436

-28.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CDF 2,240

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CDF 4,508

$1.98 CDF 4,476

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CDF 5,756

$3.05 CDF 6,911

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CDF 4,446

$1.54 CDF 3,481

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CDF 2,764

$1.95 CDF 4,423

-37.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CDF 7,204

$1.26 CDF 2,864

152.38%

Eggs

$2.10 CDF 4,761

$4.39 CDF 9,949

-52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

$5.58 CDF 12.6K

164.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

$4.58 CDF 10.4K

68.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

$6.11 CDF 13.8K

154.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

$3.94 CDF 8,925

25.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 CDF 6,960

$1.03 CDF 2,328

198.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

$1.03 CDF 2,326

373.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 CDF 6,745

$1.21 CDF 2,745

146.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CDF 5,810

$1.28 CDF 2,891

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CDF 6,020

$1.98 CDF 4,482

34.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CDF 2,220

$2.98 CDF 6,759

-67.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CDF 2,774

$2.02 CDF 4,587

-39.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 CDF 9,227

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

-16.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

$14.97 CDF 33.9K

-14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CDF 2,600

$2.05 CDF 4,639

-43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CDF 4,719

$2.06 CDF 4,664

0.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 CDF 2,289

$0.24 CDF 543

320.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.79 CDF 33.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

$3.98 CDF 9,027

12.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 CDF 2,226

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

$9.83 CDF 22.3K

0.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 CDF 3,361

$1.72 CDF 3,897

-13.95%

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

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

$14.8K CDF 33.6M

68.76%

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

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

$17.0K CDF 38.5M

79.71%

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

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

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

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

$24.74 CDF 56.0K

-18.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

$34.96 CDF 79.2K

110.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 CDF 22.7K

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

$132 CDF 297.9K

$74.3 CDF 168.4K

76.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

$1,217 CDF 2.8M

266.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

$29.92 CDF 67.8K

-25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

$45.26 CDF 102.5K

-50.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

$50.3 CDF 114.0K

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

$118 CDF 267.0K

-26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 CDF 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 CDF 851.7K

$99.5 CDF 225.3K

278.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

$508 CDF 1.2M

396.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

$204 CDF 461.3K

907.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

$984 CDF 2.2M

2.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$499 CDF 1.1M

$492 CDF 1.1M

1.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

$502 CDF 1.1M

111.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bukavu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6%

Bukavu

$99 14.6% 73.5% $277

Groceries & Markets

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6%

Bukavu

$240 35.3% 26.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7%

Bukavu

$25 * 3.6% 86.3% $156

Eating Out

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4%

Bukavu

$146 21.5% 17.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lubumbashi

$86 7%

Bukavu

$110 16.1% 27.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6%

Bukavu

$35 * 5.2% 52.5% $39

Getting Around

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7%

Bukavu

$25 3.6% 190% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 112% higher in Lubumbashi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Lubumbashi versus $15.00 in Bukavu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $240 – making Bukavu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Bukavu

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

Same time as Lubumbashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,139,064

816,811

💱 Currency

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lubumbashi Bukavu 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Lubumbashi
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Lubumbashi vs Bukavu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lubumbashi is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Lubumbashi and $1,019 in Bukavu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,228 in Lubumbashi and $679 in Bukavu. That's a gap of about 81%.

Kindergarten costs $132 per month in Lubumbashi and $74.3 in Bukavu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bukavu, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Lubumbashi at $1,228. In Bukavu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lubumbashi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bukavu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bukavu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lubumbashi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.