Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nyamata and Gisenyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Gisenyi: $453 a month against $569 in Nyamata, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nyamata
🇷🇼 Rwanda
$569
/mo nomad
Gisenyi
🇷🇼 Rwanda
$453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nyamata and in Gisenyi

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 Gisenyi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $569 per month in Nyamata vs $453 in Gisenyi, rent included.

  • Nyamata $569
  • Gisenyi $453

A couple spends around $899 per month in Nyamata vs $693 in Gisenyi, rent included.

  • Nyamata $899
  • Gisenyi $693

A family of three spends $1,229 per month in Nyamata vs $933 in Gisenyi, rent included.

  • Nyamata $1,229
  • Gisenyi $933

Nyamata costs about 26% more than Gisenyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nyamata and Gisenyi are more affordable than the global median – Nyamata 58% lower, Gisenyi 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.75 RWF 4,048
$2.73 RWF 4,007
0.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.79 RWF 17.3K
$14.85 RWF 21.8K
-20.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.65 RWF 9,779
$6.16 RWF 9,063
7.95%
Cappuccino
$1.71 RWF 2,510
$2.45 RWF 3,601
-30.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 RWF 1,039
$0.77 RWF 1,126
-7.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 RWF 560
$0.58 RWF 854
-34.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.04 RWF 1,528
$1.03 RWF 1,516
0.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 RWF 2,509
$2.02 RWF 2,964
-15.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 RWF 1,200
$0.80 RWF 1,175
2.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 RWF 1,145
$1.02 RWF 1,500
-23.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 RWF 1,878
$1.28 RWF 1,882
-
Eggs
$1.61 RWF 2,367
$1.65 RWF 2,427
-2.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.55 RWF 5,224
$4.22 RWF 6,206
-15.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 RWF 3,927
$4.71 RWF 6,927
-43.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.12 RWF 6,055
$4.42 RWF 6,504
-6.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.47 RWF 3,629
$2.44 RWF 3,594
1.23%
Banana (1kg)
$0.40 RWF 587
$0.76 RWF 1,117
-47.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.70 RWF 1,032
$1.49 RWF 2,192
-53.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.56 RWF 820
$1.08 RWF 1,583
-48.15%
Potato (1kg)
$0.49 RWF 718
$0.49 RWF 719
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RWF 1,128
$0.72 RWF 1,053
6.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 RWF 521
$0.31 RWF 463
12.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 RWF 1,044
$0.82 RWF 1,205
-13.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.33 RWF 1,958
$2.05 RWF 3,018
-35.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.32 RWF 15.2K
$10.20 RWF 15.0K
1.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 RWF 1,512
$1.02 RWF 1,503
0.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 RWF 2,326
$1.50 RWF 2,211
5.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.09 RWF 134
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.74 RWF 45.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 RWF 3,886
$2.64 RWF 3,883
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 RWF 2,945
$1.99 RWF 2,922
0.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 RWF 4,616
$3.44 RWF 5,058
-8.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 RWF 1,810
$1.89 RWF 2,774
-34.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K RWF 38.8M
$25.9K RWF 38.0M
2.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K RWF 35.0M
$29.5K RWF 43.4M
-19.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.3 RWF 125.4K
$84.8 RWF 124.6K
0.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.19 RWF 10.6K
$2.96 RWF 4,354
142.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.12 RWF 25.2K
$20.82 RWF 30.6K
-17.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$102 RWF 150.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$1.99 RWF 2,930
$3.47 RWF 5,096
-42.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$114 RWF 167.3K
$113 RWF 165.5K
1.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,358 RWF 13.8M
$9,593 RWF 14.1M
-2.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.24 RWF 25.3K
$17.17 RWF 25.2K
0.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.65 RWF 23.0K
$15.81 RWF 23.2K
-1.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$22.03 RWF 32.4K
$22.42 RWF 33.0K
-1.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$34.32 RWF 50.5K
$33.48 RWF 49.2K
2.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$100.0 RWF 147.0K
$293 RWF 431.5K
-65.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$67.9 RWF 99.8K
$49.87 RWF 73.3K
36.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$343 RWF 503.9K
$298 RWF 438.3K
14.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$240 RWF 353.5K
$120 RWF 175.8K
101.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nyamata
Gisenyi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$180 RWF 264.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.2
16.2
-

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

Last update for Nyamata: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gisenyi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Nyamata
$126
Gisenyi
$150 19% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nyamata
$110
Gisenyi
$109 1% $1.1
Sport & Entertainment
Nyamata
$106
Gisenyi
$6.9 * 93.5% $99
Eating Out
Nyamata
$75
Gisenyi
$84 11.7% $8.8
Accommodation & Living
Nyamata
$68
Gisenyi
$50 26.5% $18
Getting Around
Nyamata
$43 *
Gisenyi
$13 * 70.2% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Nyamata
$40
Gisenyi
$40 0.4% $0.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $100.0 in Nyamata versus $293 in Gisenyi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Nyamata versus $15.00 in Gisenyi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $150 – making Nyamata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇼 Nyamata
🇷🇼 Gisenyi
🕒 Local time
03:21 3:21 AM
03:21 3:21 AM
Same time as Nyamata
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,509
172,357
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,470 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,653 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nyamata Gisenyi 110 km
From you
  • Nyamata
  • Gisenyi

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 Gisenyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nyamata or Gisenyi?
Nyamata costs about 26% more than Gisenyi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nyamata and in Gisenyi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $853 per month in Nyamata and $679 in Gisenyi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nyamata or Gisenyi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gisenyi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Nyamata and in Gisenyi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Nyamata and $15.00 in Gisenyi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Nyamata or in Gisenyi?
Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Nyamata – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $800/month in Nyamata or in Gisenyi?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $569 in Nyamata and $453 in Gisenyi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Gisenyi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Nyamata compared to Gisenyi?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Nyamata or to Gisenyi?
If budget matters most, go with Gisenyi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nyamata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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