Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Rwanda: $811 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index

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🇷🇼 Rwanda

$811

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rwanda and in Canada

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

A single person spends $811 per month in Rwanda vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

Rwanda $811
Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $1,311 per month in Rwanda vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

Rwanda $1,311
Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $1,810 per month in Rwanda vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

Rwanda $1,810
Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Rwanda ($369–$881), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Rwanda is roughly 65% lower than in Canada on average.

Rwanda sits 40% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 RWF 4,448

$18.16 CA$25.38

-83.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.94 RWF 36.7K

$71.2 CA$99.5

-64.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 RWF 10.1K

$10.81 CA$15.11

-36.45%

Cappuccino

$2.27 RWF 3,336

$3.78 CA$5.28

-39.95%

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

$0.80 RWF 1,176

$2.11 CA$2.96

-62.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 RWF 793

$1.66 CA$2.32

-67.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 RWF 1,445

$5.62 CA$7.85

-82.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 RWF 3,030

$5.72 CA$7.99

-63.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 RWF 1,247

$2.17 CA$3.04

-60.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RWF 1,512

$2.60 CA$3.64

-60.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 RWF 1,831

$3.65 CA$5.11

-66.03%

Eggs

$1.59 RWF 2,333

$3.63 CA$5.07

-56.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.02 RWF 5,914

$10.76 CA$15.04

-62.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 RWF 6,407

$11.90 CA$16.63

-63.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.15 RWF 6,111

$15.42 CA$21.55

-73.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 RWF 4,065

$4.03 CA$5.63

-31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 RWF 1,229

$1.38 CA$1.94

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RWF 2,288

$3.88 CA$5.42

-59.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 RWF 1,446

$4.08 CA$5.70

-75.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 RWF 686

$2.57 CA$3.59

-81.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RWF 1,178

$2.48 CA$3.46

-67.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 RWF 727

$2.65 CA$3.70

-81.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RWF 1,179

$1.71 CA$2.40

-53.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 RWF 2,944

$14.32 CA$20.01

-86.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 RWF 14.6K

$13.49 CA$18.85

-26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 RWF 1,640

$2.84 CA$3.97

-60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 RWF 2,243

$3.30 CA$4.62

-53.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 RWF 524

$2.55 CA$3.57

-85.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.57 RWF 39.1K

$71.9 CA$101

-63.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 RWF 4,106

$3.18 CA$4.44

-12.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 RWF 2,911

$1.54 CA$2.15

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 RWF 5,067

$26.69 CA$37.30

-87.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 RWF 2,648

$1.24 CA$1.74

45.16%

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

$26.2K RWF 38.5M

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-6.09%

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

$23.2K RWF 34.2M

$21.1K CA$29.4K

10.25%

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

$83.3 RWF 122.5K

$147 CA$206

-43.49%

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

$7.62 RWF 11.2K

$41.80 CA$58.4

-81.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.87 RWF 30.7K

$60.2 CA$84.2

-65.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.13 RWF 45.8K

$39.01 CA$54.5

-20.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 RWF 6,079

$19.06 CA$26.64

-78.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.31 RWF 4,875

$11.21 CA$15.66

-70.47%

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

$133 RWF 195.2K

$721 CA$1,008

-81.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,517 RWF 14.0M

$14.8K CA$20.7K

-35.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.58 RWF 30.3K

$55.3 CA$77.2

-62.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.16 RWF 25.2K

$38.95 CA$54.4

-55.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.09 RWF 39.9K

$87.4 CA$122

-69.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.62 RWF 52.4K

$101 CA$142

-64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 RWF 883.9K

$1,290 CA$1,803

-53.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 RWF 500.0K

$1,130 CA$1,579

-69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 RWF 1.9M

$2,036 CA$2,845

-36.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 RWF 1.2M

$1,731 CA$2,419

-53.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,440 RWF 5.1M

$4,769 CA$6,664

-27.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,986 RWF 4.4M

$3,730 CA$5,212

-19.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$290 RWF 426.8K

$3,070 CA$4,290

-90.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

4.87

232.65%

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

Last update for Rwanda: October 25, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rwanda

$340 41.9%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 233% $790

Groceries & Markets

Rwanda

$149 18.4%

Canada

$371 16.1% 148% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rwanda

$112 13.8%

Canada

$249 10.8% 123% $138

Eating Out

Rwanda

$86 10.7%

Canada

$278 12% 222% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Rwanda

$45 5.6%

Canada

$127 5.5% 182% $82

Getting Around

Rwanda

$41 5%

Canada

$93 4% 129% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Rwanda

$38 4.7%

Canada

$61 2.7% 62.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $354 in Rwanda vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $672 in Kigali and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $232 in Rwanda vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 253% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 167% more in Canada.

Public transport is 136% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Rwanda

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

20:07 8:07 PM

6 h behind Rwanda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,246,394

36,991,981

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.1 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 1,471 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,640 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.1 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rwanda Canada 11,390 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Rwanda
Canada

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rwanda is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 65% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $354 in Rwanda.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Rwanda – part of why living there is about 65% cheaper overall.

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.