Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and Brazil

For one person, living is cheaper in Rwanda: $811 a month against $865 in Brazil, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. The total is higher in Brazil despite lower rent and utilities.

Rwanda
Brazil
🇷🇼 Rwanda
$811
/mo nomad
🇧🇷 Brazil
$865
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rwanda and in Brazil

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

A single person spends $811 per month in Rwanda vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Rwanda $811
  • Brazil $865

A couple spends around $1,311 per month in Rwanda vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Rwanda $1,311
  • Brazil $1,373

A family of three spends $1,810 per month in Rwanda vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Rwanda $1,810
  • Brazil $1,880

The regional cost range is wider in Brazil ($569–$1,349) than in Rwanda ($369–$881), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Rwanda is roughly 6% lower than in Brazil on average.

Both Rwanda and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Rwanda 40% lower, Brazil 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.02 RWF 4,448
$6.55 R$35.66
-53.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.94 RWF 36.7K
$30.71 R$167
-18.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.87 RWF 10.1K
$7.45 R$40.55
-7.79%
Cappuccino
$2.27 RWF 3,336
$1.91 R$10.39
18.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 RWF 1,176
$1.15 R$6.28
-30.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 RWF 793
$0.76 R$4.11
-28.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.98 RWF 1,445
$1.85 R$10.06
-47.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 RWF 3,030
$2.86 R$15.54
-27.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 RWF 1,247
$1.03 R$5.61
-17.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 RWF 1,512
$1.57 R$8.52
-34.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 RWF 1,831
$1.24 R$6.72
-
Eggs
$1.59 RWF 2,333
$2.10 R$11.44
-24.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.02 RWF 5,914
$8.87 R$48.24
-54.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.35 RWF 6,407
$3.99 R$21.72
9.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.15 RWF 6,111
$7.76 R$42.19
-46.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.76 RWF 4,065
$2.15 R$11.72
28.37%
Banana (1kg)
$0.84 RWF 1,229
$1.27 R$6.91
-33.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.56 RWF 2,288
$1.16 R$6.28
34.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.98 RWF 1,446
$1.53 R$8.32
-35.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.47 RWF 686
$1.16 R$6.32
-59.48%
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 RWF 1,178
$1.02 R$5.55
-21.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.49 RWF 727
$0.74 R$4.04
-33.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 RWF 1,179
$0.72 R$3.90
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.00 RWF 2,944
$2.25 R$12.26
-11.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 RWF 14.6K
$7.65 R$41.62
30.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 RWF 1,640
$1.30 R$7.09
-14.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 RWF 2,243
$2.16 R$11.77
-29.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 RWF 524
$0.94 R$5.12
-61.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.57 RWF 39.1K
$44.00 R$239
-39.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 RWF 4,106
$1.23 R$6.68
126.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 RWF 2,911
$0.96 R$5.20
106.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.44 RWF 5,067
$7.42 R$40.36
-53.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 RWF 2,648
$1.21 R$6.60
48.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.2K RWF 38.5M
$22.1K R$120.5K
18.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.2K RWF 34.2M
$31.6K R$171.7K
-26.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.3 RWF 122.5K
$77.2 R$420
7.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.62 RWF 11.2K
$12.44 R$67.6
-38.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.87 RWF 30.7K
$19.80 R$108
5.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.13 RWF 45.8K
$24.36 R$133
27.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.13 RWF 6,079
$25.46 R$138
-83.78%
Cinema Ticket
$3.31 RWF 4,875
$6.98 R$37.99
-52.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$133 RWF 195.2K
$316 R$1,718
-57.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,517 RWF 14.0M
$8,298 R$45.1K
14.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.58 RWF 30.3K
$49.37 R$269
-58.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.16 RWF 25.2K
$45.73 R$249
-62.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$27.09 RWF 39.9K
$83.4 R$454
-67.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.62 RWF 52.4K
$65.6 R$357
-45.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$601 RWF 883.9K
$373 R$2,029
61.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 RWF 500.0K
$251 R$1,363
35.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 RWF 1.9M
$719 R$3,911
79.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$802 RWF 1.2M
$490 R$2,667
63.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,440 RWF 5.1M
$1,795 R$9,764
91.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,986 RWF 4.4M
$1,269 R$6,904
135.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rwanda
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$290 RWF 426.8K
$496 R$2,701
-41.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.2
11.17
45.03%

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

Last update for Rwanda: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rwanda
$340
Brazil
$251 26.3% $89
Groceries & Markets
Rwanda
$149
Brazil
$183 22.5% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rwanda
$112
Brazil
$109 2.1% $2.4
Eating Out
Rwanda
$86
Brazil
$120 39.3% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Rwanda
$45
Brazil
$110 143% $65
Getting Around
Rwanda
$41
Brazil
$54 32.2% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Rwanda
$38
Brazil
$38 1.5% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $354 in Rwanda vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $672 in Kigali and $517 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $232 in Rwanda vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 6% higher in Rwanda.

Dining out costs 21% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 54% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are about 2 times higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

Good to know
🇷🇼 Rwanda
🇧🇷 Brazil
🕒 Local time
12:59 12:59 PM
07:59 7:59 AM
5 h behind Rwanda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,246,394
203,062,512
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,471 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,643 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.09 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rwanda Brazil 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rwanda
  • Brazil

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 Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Rwanda compare in cost of living?
Rwanda is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Brazil or Rwanda?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Rwanda – part of why living there is about 6% cheaper overall.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Rwanda?
Rwanda is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Rwanda vs other spots: cost of living compared

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