Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nyamata and Butare

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $369 a month against $569 in Nyamata, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Nyamata
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Nyamata Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
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Butare Living Index

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Nyamata

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$569

/mo nomad

Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nyamata and in Butare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $569 in Nyamata versus $369 in Butare.

Nyamata $569
Butare $369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $896 in Nyamata versus $589 in Butare.

Nyamata $896
Butare $589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,222 in Nyamata versus $809 in Butare.

Nyamata $1,222
Butare $809

Living in Nyamata is roughly 54% more expensive than in Butare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nyamata 58% lower, Butare 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 RWF 3,972

$2.74 RWF 4,025

-1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.81 RWF 17.4K

$30.44 RWF 44.8K

-61.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 RWF 10.2K

$6.82 RWF 10.0K

1.17%

Cappuccino

$1.68 RWF 2,470

$2.39 RWF 3,522

-29.71%

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

$0.66 RWF 973

$0.81 RWF 1,189

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 RWF 519

$0.55 RWF 807

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 RWF 1,525

$1.05 RWF 1,544

-0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 RWF 2,438

$2.35 RWF 3,461

-29.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 RWF 1,257

$0.33 RWF 481

157.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 RWF 1,164

$0.83 RWF 1,214

-4.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 RWF 1,949

$0.99 RWF 1,460

33.33%

Eggs

$1.59 RWF 2,337

$1.60 RWF 2,358

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 RWF 5,288

$1.64 RWF 2,413

118.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 RWF 4,097

$2.42 RWF 3,565

14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.13 RWF 6,077

$3.02 RWF 4,450

36.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 RWF 3,523

$2.00 RWF 2,943

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.39 RWF 579

$0.77 RWF 1,126

-49.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 RWF 1,040

$1.18 RWF 1,739

-39.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 RWF 826

$0.83 RWF 1,226

-32.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 RWF 719

$0.42 RWF 622

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 RWF 1,074

$0.26 RWF 380

180.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 RWF 479

$0.14 RWF 206

135.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 RWF 1,024

$0.85 RWF 1,253

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.31 RWF 1,930

$2.00 RWF 2,936

-34.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 RWF 15.0K

$10.12 RWF 14.9K

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RWF 1,468

$0.98 RWF 1,445

2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 RWF 2,240

$1.56 RWF 2,299

-2.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.88 RWF 45.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 RWF 3,721

$2.69 RWF 3,950

-5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 RWF 3,008

$2.01 RWF 2,951

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 RWF 4,515

$3.42 RWF 5,024

-10.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 RWF 1,817

$1.84 RWF 2,700

-33.15%

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

$26.2K RWF 38.5M

$25.6K RWF 37.7M

2.16%

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

$24.0K RWF 35.2M

$29.2K RWF 42.9M

-17.85%

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

$85.5 RWF 125.7K

$82.6 RWF 121.5K

3.45%

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

$7.16 RWF 10.5K

$7.03 RWF 10.3K

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 RWF 24.8K

$21.06 RWF 31.0K

-19.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 RWF 150.1K

Cinema Ticket

$2.06 RWF 3,035

$3.30 RWF 4,859

-37.58%

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

$112 RWF 164.9K

$112 RWF 165.5K

-0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,359 RWF 13.8M

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

-1.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.08 RWF 25.1K

$17.51 RWF 25.8K

-2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.51 RWF 22.8K

$15.43 RWF 22.7K

0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.34 RWF 32.9K

$22.09 RWF 32.5K

1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.72 RWF 49.6K

$33.89 RWF 49.9K

-0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 RWF 149.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.4 RWF 100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 RWF 493.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 RWF 345.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 RWF 272.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

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

Last update for Nyamata: October 25, 2026

Last update for Butare: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nyamata

$126 22.2%

Butare

$112 30.5% 10.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nyamata

$110 19.3%

Butare

$111 30% 1.1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nyamata

$106 18.7%

Butare

$6.6 * 1.8% 93.8% $100

Eating Out

Nyamata

$75 13.2%

Butare

$86 23.4% 15.3% $11

Accommodation & Living

Nyamata

$68 12%

Butare

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nyamata

$44 * 7.7%

Butare

$13 * 3.5% 70.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nyamata

$40 7%

Butare

$40 10.9% 0.3% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $12 in Nyamata vs $30 in Butare. Groceries flip the comparison at $126 vs $112, with Butare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Nyamata

🇷🇼 Butare

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

Same time as Nyamata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,509

62,823

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nyamata Butare 66 km

From you

Nyamata
Butare

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

Nyamata vs Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Nyamata. 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 $853 in Nyamata and $553 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 12% higher in Nyamata. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $569 per month in Nyamata versus $369 in Butare – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Butare gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nyamata 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.