Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $503 in Rwanda versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Rwanda versus $2,621 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,101 in Rwanda versus $3,524 in Italy.

Living in Rwanda costs about 71% less than in Italy on average.

Rwanda (62% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $369–$788 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 RWF 5,029

$17.58 €15.38

-80.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 RWF 40.7K

$82.5 €72.1

-66.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 RWF 9,007

$11.72 €10.25

-47.44%

Cappuccino

$2.25 RWF 3,293

$1.92 €1.68

17.19%

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

$0.86 RWF 1,253

$2.99 €2.62

-71.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 RWF 778

$1.36 €1.19

-61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 RWF 1,501

$5.76 €5.04

-82.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 RWF 2,945

$5.22 €4.57

-61.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 RWF 1,010

$1.69 €1.48

-59.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RWF 1,506

$2.33 €2.04

-55.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RWF 1,764

$3.05 €2.67

-60.33%

Eggs

$1.62 RWF 2,367

$3.99 €3.49

-59.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 RWF 5,733

$16.68 €14.59

-76.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 RWF 5,822

$12.57 €11.00

-68.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.47 RWF 5,079

$20.53 €17.96

-83.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 RWF 3,865

$2.56 €2.24

3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 RWF 1,206

$2.20 €1.93

-62.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RWF 2,016

$2.68 €2.34

-48.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 RWF 1,527

$3.37 €2.95

-69.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 RWF 672

$2.04 €1.78

-77.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RWF 1,116

$1.88 €1.65

-59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 RWF 592

$1.47 €1.29

-72.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RWF 1,139

$0.54 €0.47

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 RWF 2,492

$7.00 €6.12

-75.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 RWF 15.0K

$7.09 €6.20

45.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RWF 1,492

$1.80 €1.58

-43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RWF 2,500

$2.51 €2.19

-31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 RWF 488

$1.96 €1.71

-83.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.12 RWF 41.1K

$41.58 €36.38

-32.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 RWF 3,953

$5.80 €5.08

-53.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 RWF 1,796

$1.60 €1.40

-23.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 RWF 6,133

$35.07 €30.68

-88.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 RWF 1,667

$2.13 €1.86

-46.48%

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

$24.3K RWF 35.6M

$32.6K €28.5K

-25.34%

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

$22.5K RWF 32.9M

$33.8K €29.6K

-33.50%

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

$48.81 RWF 71.4K

$225 €197

-78.30%

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

$9.29 RWF 13.6K

$13.14 €11.50

-29.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

$31.19 €27.29

-32.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 RWF 45.8K

$57.2 €50.0

-45.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.35 RWF 6,365

$25.85 €22.61

-83.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 RWF 4,950

$10.34 €9.05

-67.31%

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

$138 RWF 201.4K

$564 €493

-75.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,312 RWF 6.3M

$10.3K €9,047

-58.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.96 RWF 27.7K

$91.9 €80.4

-79.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 RWF 33.8K

$40.54 €35.47

-42.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.23 RWF 41.3K

$98.2 €85.9

-71.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.21 RWF 50.0K

$132 €116

-74.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 RWF 624.8K

$855 €748

-50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 RWF 410.9K

$663 €580

-57.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 RWF 1.2M

$1,522 €1,332

-43.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RWF 817.1K

$1,089 €953

-48.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,429 RWF 5.0M

$3,747 €3,278

-8.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

$2,299 €2,011

29.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 RWF 415.8K

$1,897 €1,659

-85.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.43

4.41

272.56%

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

Last update for Rwanda: July 14, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $266 in Rwanda, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $573 in Kigali vs $1,328 in Rome.

National salary averages: $242 in Rwanda, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 179% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 270% more in Italy.

Public transport is 214% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 690% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $579 in Rwanda, there's a 215% 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 Italy 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 Italy 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; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.