Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Rwanda: $804 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Rwanda
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Rwanda Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇷🇼 Rwanda

$804

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rwanda and in Australia

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

A single person spends $804 per month in Rwanda vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Rwanda $804
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $1,298 per month in Rwanda vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Rwanda $1,298
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $1,793 per month in Rwanda vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Rwanda $1,793
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Rwanda ($369–$877), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Rwanda is roughly 68% lower than in Australia on average.

Rwanda sits 41% below the global median, while Australia is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 RWF 4,609

$17.35 A$24.97

-81.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.93 RWF 36.7K

$84.5 A$122

-70.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 RWF 10.1K

$10.98 A$15.79

-37.43%

Cappuccino

$2.28 RWF 3,352

$3.84 A$5.53

-40.63%

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

$0.79 RWF 1,163

$2.89 A$4.16

-72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 RWF 772

$2.29 A$3.29

-76.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 RWF 1,464

$7.79 A$11.21

-87.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 RWF 2,970

$8.42 A$12.12

-76.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 RWF 1,160

$1.75 A$2.52

-54.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 RWF 1,527

$2.78 A$4.00

-62.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RWF 1,805

$2.31 A$3.33

-46.75%

Eggs

$1.58 RWF 2,330

$4.89 A$7.04

-67.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 RWF 5,682

$9.95 A$14.32

-61.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 RWF 6,363

$9.06 A$13.03

-52.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.19 RWF 6,158

$14.92 A$21.46

-71.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 RWF 4,006

$3.65 A$5.25

-25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 RWF 1,156

$3.03 A$4.36

-73.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RWF 2,308

$3.24 A$4.66

-51.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 RWF 1,437

$4.69 A$6.76

-79.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 RWF 755

$2.85 A$4.11

-82.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RWF 1,122

$2.32 A$3.34

-67.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 RWF 736

$2.43 A$3.50

-79.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 RWF 1,227

$1.66 A$2.39

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 RWF 3,060

$38.47 A$55.4

-94.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 RWF 14.9K

$13.84 A$19.92

-26.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RWF 1,703

$4.87 A$7.01

-76.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RWF 2,334

$5.28 A$7.59

-69.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 516

$2.71 A$3.90

-87.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.21 RWF 41.5K

$94.0 A$135

-69.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 RWF 4,081

$3.57 A$5.14

-22.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 RWF 2,951

$1.63 A$2.35

23.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 RWF 4,965

$40.04 A$57.6

-91.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RWF 2,619

$1.33 A$1.91

33.83%

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

$25.9K RWF 38.1M

$29.1K A$41.9K

-10.99%

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

$23.8K RWF 34.9M

$25.7K A$37.0K

-7.57%

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

$85.7 RWF 126.0K

$205 A$296

-58.29%

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

$7.73 RWF 11.4K

$28.24 A$40.63

-72.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.46 RWF 30.1K

$57.0 A$82.0

-64.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.93 RWF 44.0K

$55.4 A$79.7

-45.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.19 RWF 6,167

$19.46 A$28.01

-78.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.31 RWF 4,871

$15.06 A$21.66

-78.02%

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

$133 RWF 195.7K

$2,097 A$3,017

-93.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,547 RWF 14.0M

$18.0K A$26.0K

-47.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.48 RWF 30.1K

$78.0 A$112

-73.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.51 RWF 25.7K

$55.3 A$79.6

-68.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.45 RWF 38.9K

$112 A$161

-76.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.39 RWF 52.0K

$122 A$175

-70.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 RWF 891.2K

$1,559 A$2,244

-61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 RWF 484.8K

$1,215 A$1,748

-72.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 RWF 1.9M

$2,435 A$3,504

-47.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 RWF 1.1M

$1,924 A$2,769

-59.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,440 RWF 5.1M

$8,175 A$11.8K

-57.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,042 RWF 4.5M

$6,060 A$8,721

-49.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$288 RWF 424.0K

$4,038 A$5,811

-92.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

5.94

172.73%

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

Last update for Rwanda: October 18, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rwanda

$330 41%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 268% $885

Groceries & Markets

Rwanda

$149 18.6%

Australia

$372 14.7% 150% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rwanda

$114 14.2%

Australia

$291 11.4% 155% $177

Eating Out

Rwanda

$87 10.9%

Australia

$294 11.6% 237% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Rwanda

$45 5.6%

Australia

$165 6.5% 268% $120

Getting Around

Rwanda

$42 5.3%

Australia

$117 4.6% 175% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Rwanda

$37 4.6%

Australia

$85 3.4% 134% $49

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $213 in Rwanda vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $672 in Kigali and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $230 in Rwanda vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 540% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 242% more in Australia.

Public transport is 582% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1575% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Rwanda

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

9 h ahead of Rwanda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,246,394

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rwanda Australia 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Rwanda
Australia

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

Rwanda vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rwanda is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 216% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $213 in Rwanda.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Rwanda, adding to the overall 216% price gap.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Rwanda, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Rwanda is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.