Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Rwanda versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $799 in Rwanda versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,098 in Rwanda versus $846 in India.

Living in Rwanda is roughly 29% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Rwanda 63% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $264 to $888, compared to $366–$781 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 RWF 4,951

$2.49 ₹237

36.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 RWF 40.1K

$14.20 ₹1,353

93.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 RWF 8,814

$3.98 ₹379

51.76%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RWF 3,162

$1.88 ₹179

15.43%

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

$0.84 RWF 1,232

$0.44 ₹41.98

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 RWF 721

$0.19 ₹18.57

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 RWF 1,543

$2.02 ₹192

-47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 RWF 2,903

$3.45 ₹329

-42.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 RWF 967

$0.72 ₹68.3

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 RWF 1,511

$0.52 ₹49.26

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RWF 1,770

$0.72 ₹68.7

68.06%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,334

$0.93 ₹88.8

72.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.87 RWF 5,643

$5.24 ₹499

-26.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 RWF 5,861

$3.07 ₹292

30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.58 RWF 5,216

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 RWF 3,915

$2.17 ₹207

23.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 RWF 1,280

$0.76 ₹72.2

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RWF 2,129

$1.05 ₹100

39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 RWF 1,465

$0.53 ₹50.7

88.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 RWF 681

$0.39 ₹37.53

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 RWF 1,179

$0.49 ₹46.81

65.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 RWF 587

$0.52 ₹49.35

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RWF 1,136

$0.33 ₹31.13

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 RWF 2,476

$4.05 ₹386

-58.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 RWF 14.9K

$7.39 ₹704

38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RWF 1,408

$1.84 ₹175

-47.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 RWF 2,378

$2.90 ₹277

-43.79%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 RWF 496

$0.36 ₹34.59

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 RWF 40.4K

$9.74 ₹928

184.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 RWF 3,937

$0.95 ₹90.6

184.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 RWF 1,777

$0.30 ₹28.64

306.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 RWF 6,217

$1.73 ₹165

146.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 RWF 1,647

$1.23 ₹117

-8.13%

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

$24.1K RWF 35.2M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

74.24%

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

$22.6K RWF 32.9M

$22.6K ₹2.2M

-0.11%

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

$50.1 RWF 73.1K

$40.88 ₹3,894

22.58%

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

$9.44 RWF 13.8K

$3.91 ₹372

141.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.31 RWF 31.1K

$7.81 ₹744

172.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.45 RWF 45.9K

$16.15 ₹1,538

94.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.28 RWF 6,249

$7.49 ₹713

-42.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 RWF 5,159

$3.42 ₹326

3.51%

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

$138 RWF 201.1K

$69.9 ₹6,660

97.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,359 RWF 6.4M

$1,793 ₹170.8K

143.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.98 RWF 27.7K

$25.83 ₹2,460

-26.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.10 RWF 33.7K

$26.61 ₹2,535

-13.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.73 RWF 40.5K

$45.24 ₹4,309

-38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.43 RWF 50.2K

$33.68 ₹3,208

2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 RWF 620.5K

$178 ₹17.0K

138.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 RWF 425.1K

$115 ₹10.9K

154.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 RWF 1.3M

$407 ₹38.8K

117.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 RWF 825.5K

$264 ₹25.1K

114.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,367 RWF 4.9M

$1,240 ₹118.1K

171.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,036 RWF 4.4M

$631 ₹60.1K

381.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$281 RWF 409.7K

$432 ₹41.2K

-35.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.43

9.02

82.15%

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

Last update for Rwanda: May 30, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $264 in Rwanda, $127 in India. Capital cities: $568 in Kigali vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $244 in Rwanda, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in Rwanda.

Dining out costs 82% more in Rwanda.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Rwanda.

Salaries are 63% higher in India, giving India stronger purchasing power.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rent in India beats Rwanda across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Rwanda, $800 covers most cities easily. In India, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Rwanda wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.