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: $503 in Rwanda versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Rwanda versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,101 in Rwanda versus $846 in India.

Living in Rwanda is roughly 30% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Rwanda 62% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $265 to $913, compared to $369–$788 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 RWF 5,029

$2.53 ₹244

35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 RWF 40.7K

$13.73 ₹1,322

102.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 RWF 9,007

$4.00 ₹385

54.00%

Cappuccino

$2.25 RWF 3,293

$1.91 ₹184

17.80%

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

$0.86 RWF 1,253

$0.43 ₹41.85

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 RWF 778

$0.17 ₹16.11

211.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 RWF 1,501

$1.93 ₹186

-46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 RWF 2,945

$3.54 ₹341

-43.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 RWF 1,010

$0.73 ₹69.9

-5.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RWF 1,506

$0.52 ₹50.1

98.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RWF 1,764

$0.73 ₹69.9

65.75%

Eggs

$1.62 RWF 2,367

$0.95 ₹91.4

70.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 RWF 5,733

$5.32 ₹512

-26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 RWF 5,822

$3.10 ₹299

28.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.47 RWF 5,079

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 RWF 3,865

$2.16 ₹208

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 RWF 1,206

$0.70 ₹67.7

17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RWF 2,016

$1.05 ₹101

31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 RWF 1,527

$0.53 ₹50.8

96.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 RWF 672

$0.39 ₹37.66

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RWF 1,116

$0.48 ₹46.64

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 RWF 592

$0.52 ₹49.78

-21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RWF 1,139

$0.36 ₹34.33

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 RWF 2,492

$4.02 ₹387

-57.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 RWF 15.0K

$7.28 ₹701

41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RWF 1,492

$1.90 ₹183

-46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RWF 2,500

$3.03 ₹292

-43.56%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 RWF 488

$0.36 ₹34.66

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.12 RWF 41.1K

$9.84 ₹948

185.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 RWF 3,953

$0.95 ₹91.8

184.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 RWF 1,796

$0.30 ₹29.03

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 RWF 6,133

$1.79 ₹172

134.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 RWF 1,667

$1.21 ₹117

-5.79%

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

$24.3K RWF 35.6M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

75.54%

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

$22.5K RWF 32.9M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

0.12%

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

$48.81 RWF 71.4K

$40.16 ₹3,867

21.54%

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

$9.29 RWF 13.6K

$3.76 ₹362

147.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

$8.04 ₹774

163.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 RWF 45.8K

$16.25 ₹1,565

92.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.35 RWF 6,365

$7.56 ₹728

-42.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 RWF 4,950

$3.43 ₹330

-1.46%

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

$138 RWF 201.4K

$69.7 ₹6,713

97.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,312 RWF 6.3M

$1,852 ₹178.3K

132.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.96 RWF 27.7K

$25.59 ₹2,463

-25.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 RWF 33.8K

$26.30 ₹2,532

-12.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.23 RWF 41.3K

$44.89 ₹4,322

-37.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.21 RWF 50.0K

$33.20 ₹3,197

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 RWF 624.8K

$174 ₹16.8K

144.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 RWF 410.9K

$112 ₹10.8K

149.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 RWF 1.2M

$405 ₹39.0K

110.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RWF 817.1K

$258 ₹24.8K

116.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,429 RWF 5.0M

$1,263 ₹121.6K

171.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

$653 ₹62.8K

355.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 RWF 415.8K

$424 ₹40.8K

-32.95%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $266 in Rwanda, $127 in India. Capital cities: $573 in Kigali vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $242 in Rwanda, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 109% higher in Rwanda.

Dining out costs 82% more in Rwanda.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Rwanda.

Salaries are 64% 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 $589 per month in India and $579 in Rwanda, there's a 2% 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 Rwanda: 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 India is consistently higher than in 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 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: Rwanda wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.