Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nyamata and Kigali

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyamata: $569 a month against $876 in Kigali, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kigali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

27

Cost of Living Index in Nyamata
Learn more

Nyamata Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kigali
Learn more

Kigali Living Index

Jump to prices

Nyamata

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$569

/mo nomad

Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nyamata and in Kigali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $569 in Nyamata versus $876 in Kigali.

Nyamata $569
Kigali $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $899 in Nyamata versus $1,378 in Kigali.

Nyamata $899
Kigali $1,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,229 in Nyamata versus $1,879 in Kigali.

Nyamata $1,229
Kigali $1,879

Living in Nyamata costs roughly 35% less than in Kigali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nyamata 58% lower, Kigali 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 RWF 4,048

$2.75 RWF 4,049

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.79 RWF 17.3K

$30.24 RWF 44.5K

-61.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 RWF 9,779

$6.84 RWF 10.0K

-2.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 RWF 2,510

$2.45 RWF 3,604

-30.20%

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

$0.71 RWF 1,039

$0.75 RWF 1,107

-5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 RWF 560

$0.57 RWF 841

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 RWF 1,528

$1.01 RWF 1,479

2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RWF 2,509

$2.40 RWF 3,534

-28.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 RWF 1,200

$0.87 RWF 1,276

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 RWF 1,145

$1.03 RWF 1,517

-24.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 RWF 1,878

$1.26 RWF 1,855

1.59%

Eggs

$1.61 RWF 2,367

$1.62 RWF 2,381

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.55 RWF 5,224

$4.14 RWF 6,091

-14.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 RWF 3,927

$4.64 RWF 6,823

-42.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.12 RWF 6,055

$4.64 RWF 6,819

-11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 RWF 3,629

$2.36 RWF 3,464

4.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.40 RWF 587

$0.80 RWF 1,181

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 RWF 1,032

$1.55 RWF 2,275

-54.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 RWF 820

$1.02 RWF 1,501

-45.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 RWF 718

$0.48 RWF 705

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,128

$0.74 RWF 1,082

4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 RWF 521

$0.65 RWF 953

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RWF 1,044

$0.88 RWF 1,294

-19.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.33 RWF 1,958

$1.98 RWF 2,913

-32.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 RWF 15.2K

$10.04 RWF 14.8K

2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RWF 1,512

$0.99 RWF 1,452

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RWF 2,326

$1.51 RWF 2,221

4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 515

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.74 RWF 45.2K

$25.17 RWF 37.0K

22.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 RWF 3,886

$2.65 RWF 3,891

-0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 RWF 2,945

$2.01 RWF 2,959

-0.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 RWF 4,616

$3.33 RWF 4,895

-5.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 RWF 1,810

$1.82 RWF 2,674

-32.42%

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

$26.4K RWF 38.8M

$26.2K RWF 38.6M

0.72%

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

$23.8K RWF 35.0M

$29.4K RWF 43.2M

-18.89%

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

$85.3 RWF 125.4K

$85.6 RWF 125.8K

-0.33%

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

$7.19 RWF 10.6K

$6.98 RWF 10.3K

3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.12 RWF 25.2K

$21.06 RWF 31.0K

-18.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 RWF 150.6K

$26.30 RWF 38.7K

289.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 RWF 6,068

Cinema Ticket

$1.99 RWF 2,930

$3.41 RWF 5,016

-41.64%

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

$114 RWF 167.3K

$114 RWF 168.2K

-0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,358 RWF 13.8M

$9,339 RWF 13.7M

0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.24 RWF 25.3K

$17.62 RWF 25.9K

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.65 RWF 23.0K

$15.44 RWF 22.7K

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

$22.64 RWF 33.3K

-2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.32 RWF 50.5K

$34.27 RWF 50.4K

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$100.0 RWF 147.0K

$666 RWF 978.8K

-84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$67.9 RWF 99.8K

$411 RWF 603.7K

-83.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 RWF 503.9K

$1,399 RWF 2.1M

-75.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 RWF 353.5K

$859 RWF 1.3M

-72.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,420 RWF 5.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,059 RWF 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 RWF 264.8K

$281 RWF 413.1K

-35.90%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Kigali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nyamata

$126 22.2%

Kigali

$152 17.4% 20.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nyamata

$110 19.3%

Kigali

$114 13% 3.6% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Nyamata

$106 18.7%

Kigali

$33 3.8% 68.9% $73

Eating Out

Nyamata

$75 13.3%

Kigali

$87 9.9% 15.5% $12

Accommodation & Living

Nyamata

$68 11.9%

Kigali

$411 46.9% 505% $343

Getting Around

Nyamata

$43 * 7.6%

Kigali

$39 4.5% 9.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nyamata

$40 7.1%

Kigali

$40 4.6% 0.8% $0.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $100.0 in Nyamata and $666 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kigali pays 56% 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: $12.00 in Nyamata vs $30.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $126 vs $152 per month, with Nyamata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Nyamata

🇷🇼 Kigali

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

Same time as Nyamata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,509

1,132,686 Capital

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nyamata Kigali 23 km

From you

Nyamata
Kigali

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 Kigali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nyamata wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Kigali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nyamata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Kigali. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $100.0 in Nyamata versus $666 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Kigali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nyamata – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $30.00 in Kigali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $569 in Nyamata versus $876 in Kigali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nyamata but tight or insufficient in Kigali. The gap between the two cities makes Nyamata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nyamata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $569 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nyamata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nyamata 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 Nyamata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Kigali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.