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: $533 in Rwanda versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $836 in Rwanda versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,139 in Rwanda versus $795 in India.

Living in Rwanda is roughly 46% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Rwanda 61% lower, India 73% lower.

Rwanda ($375–$870) and India ($228–$810) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 RWF 4,504

$2.15 ₹205

42.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.80 RWF 37.8K

$10.42 ₹996

147.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 RWF 10.2K

$3.59 ₹343

93.04%

Cappuccino

$2.35 RWF 3,449

$1.67 ₹160

40.72%

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

$0.82 RWF 1,197

$0.39 ₹37.26

110.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 RWF 758

$0.17 ₹15.92

205.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 RWF 1,482

$1.87 ₹179

-45.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RWF 2,911

$3.18 ₹304

-37.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 RWF 1,100

$0.64 ₹61.1

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RWF 1,517

$0.45 ₹42.66

128.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RWF 1,804

$0.63 ₹59.9

95.24%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,354

$0.87 ₹83.5

83.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 RWF 5,706

$4.62 ₹442

-15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 RWF 5,952

$2.86 ₹273

41.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.08 RWF 5,991

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 RWF 3,947

$1.95 ₹186

37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 RWF 1,298

$0.67 ₹64.3

31.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 RWF 2,328

$0.99 ₹94.3

60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 RWF 1,489

$0.51 ₹48.45

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 RWF 737

$0.35 ₹33.23

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RWF 1,139

$0.42 ₹39.69

85.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 RWF 678

$0.44 ₹41.87

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RWF 1,162

$0.31 ₹29.80

154.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 RWF 2,890

$5.14 ₹491

-61.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 RWF 14.7K

$7.58 ₹724

32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 RWF 1,551

$1.67 ₹160

-36.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RWF 2,338

$2.79 ₹266

-43.01%

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

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 RWF 484

$0.25 ₹23.64

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.26 RWF 41.5K

$8.53 ₹815

231.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 RWF 3,860

$0.94 ₹89.4

179.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 RWF 3,037

$0.27 ₹25.96

666.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 RWF 5,112

$1.60 ₹153

117.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 RWF 2,573

$1.12 ₹107

56.25%

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

$26.0K RWF 38.1M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

108.89%

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

$23.6K RWF 34.7M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

17.16%

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

$86.7 RWF 127.2K

$37.28 ₹3,562

132.62%

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

$7.86 RWF 11.5K

$3.49 ₹334

125.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 RWF 29.6K

$7.20 ₹688

180.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 RWF 44.6K

$14.69 ₹1,403

106.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.32 RWF 6,335

$7.31 ₹698

-40.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 RWF 4,920

$3.08 ₹294

8.77%

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

$134 RWF 197.2K

$59.1 ₹5,646

127.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,343 RWF 13.7M

$1,693 ₹161.8K

451.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.87 RWF 29.1K

$23.25 ₹2,221

-14.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 RWF 25.4K

$24.03 ₹2,296

-27.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.81 RWF 39.3K

$40.99 ₹3,917

-34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.26 RWF 51.7K

$30.46 ₹2,911

15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 RWF 905.3K

$143 ₹13.7K

330.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 RWF 507.0K

$93.2 ₹8,902

270.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 RWF 1.9M

$332 ₹31.7K

283.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 RWF 1.2M

$214 ₹20.4K

268.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,410 RWF 5.0M

$1,203 ₹115.0K

183.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,005 RWF 4.4M

$643 ₹61.5K

367.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 RWF 423.8K

$441 ₹42.1K

-34.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

8.93

81.41%

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

Last update for Rwanda: September 6, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $210 in Rwanda, $121 in India. Capital cities: $664 in Kigali vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $232 in Rwanda, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in Rwanda.

Dining out costs 140% more in Rwanda.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Rwanda.

Salaries are 77% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

At $519 per month in India and $623 in Rwanda, there's a 20% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

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

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Rwanda it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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