Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Rwanda and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $503 in Rwanda versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Rwanda versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,101 in Rwanda versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Rwanda costs about 51% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Rwanda 62% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $803 to $1,362, compared to $369–$788 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 RWF 5,029

$9.14 R 150

-62.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 RWF 40.7K

$39.14 R 643

-28.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 RWF 9,007

$5.19 R 85.3

18.69%

Cappuccino

$2.25 RWF 3,293

$1.98 R 32.50

13.64%

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

$0.86 RWF 1,253

$1.00 R 16.45

-14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 RWF 778

$0.79 R 12.92

-32.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 RWF 1,501

$2.21 R 36.36

-53.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 RWF 2,945

$2.57 R 42.28

-21.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 RWF 1,010

$1.12 R 18.43

-38.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RWF 1,506

$0.97 R 15.90

6.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RWF 1,764

$1.54 R 25.37

-21.43%

Eggs

$1.62 RWF 2,367

$2.25 R 36.96

-28.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 RWF 5,733

$7.86 R 129

-50.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 RWF 5,822

$4.58 R 75.3

-13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.47 RWF 5,079

$6.68 R 110

-48.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 RWF 3,865

$1.57 R 25.88

68.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 RWF 1,206

$1.47 R 24.18

-44.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RWF 2,016

$1.52 R 25.00

-9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 RWF 1,527

$1.51 R 24.81

-31.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 RWF 672

$1.26 R 20.71

-63.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 RWF 1,116

$1.27 R 20.96

-40.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 RWF 592

$1.09 R 17.86

-62.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RWF 1,139

$0.97 R 15.93

-19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 RWF 2,492

$2.84 R 46.62

-40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 RWF 15.0K

$5.20 R 85.5

97.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RWF 1,492

$1.38 R 22.74

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RWF 2,500

$1.72 R 28.24

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 RWF 488

$1.72 R 28.30

-80.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.12 RWF 41.1K

$44.22 R 727

-36.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 RWF 3,953

$1.15 R 18.93

134.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 RWF 1,796

$1.07 R 17.51

14.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 RWF 6,133

$4.74 R 77.8

-11.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 RWF 1,667

$1.28 R 21.09

-10.94%

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

$24.3K RWF 35.6M

$20.4K R 334.8K

19.39%

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

$22.5K RWF 32.9M

$24.0K R 394.3K

-6.32%

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

$48.81 RWF 71.4K

$113 R 1,856

-56.78%

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

$9.29 RWF 13.6K

$32.35 R 532

-71.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

$41.46 R 682

-48.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 RWF 45.8K

$31.04 R 510

0.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.35 RWF 6,365

$9.72 R 160

-55.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 RWF 4,950

$6.67 R 110

-49.33%

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

$138 RWF 201.4K

$186 R 3,051

-25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,312 RWF 6.3M

$4,399 R 72.3K

-1.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.96 RWF 27.7K

$50.2 R 824

-62.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 RWF 33.8K

$30.37 R 499

-23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.23 RWF 41.3K

$93.4 R 1,535

-69.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.21 RWF 50.0K

$80.4 R 1,322

-57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 RWF 624.8K

$439 R 7,210

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 RWF 410.9K

$372 R 6,112

-24.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 RWF 1.2M

$903 R 14.8K

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 RWF 817.1K

$705 R 11.6K

-20.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,429 RWF 5.0M

$1,116 R 18.3K

207.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

$793 R 13.0K

275.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 RWF 415.8K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-81.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.43

11.55

42.25%

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

Last update for Rwanda: July 14, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $266 in Rwanda, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $573 in Kigali vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $242 in Rwanda, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 525% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $579 per month in Rwanda and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 87% 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.