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: $533 in Rwanda versus $1,143 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $836 in Rwanda versus $1,781 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,139 in Rwanda versus $2,419 in South Africa.

Living in Rwanda costs about 53% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Rwanda 61% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $647 to $1,815, compared to $375–$870 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 RWF 4,504

$11.30 R 182

-72.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.80 RWF 37.8K

$44.51 R 717

-42.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 RWF 10.2K

$5.90 R 95.0

17.46%

Cappuccino

$2.35 RWF 3,449

$2.44 R 39.22

-3.69%

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

$0.82 RWF 1,197

$1.16 R 18.64

-29.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 RWF 758

$0.96 R 15.39

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 RWF 1,482

$2.56 R 41.29

-60.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RWF 2,911

$3.08 R 49.60

-35.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 RWF 1,100

$1.28 R 20.57

-41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RWF 1,517

$1.13 R 18.15

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RWF 1,804

$1.83 R 29.55

-32.79%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,354

$2.55 R 41.12

-37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 RWF 5,706

$8.35 R 134

-53.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 RWF 5,952

$5.44 R 87.6

-25.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.08 RWF 5,991

$7.88 R 127

-48.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 RWF 3,947

$1.90 R 30.61

41.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 RWF 1,298

$1.70 R 27.36

-48.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 RWF 2,328

$1.81 R 29.14

-12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 RWF 1,489

$1.88 R 30.23

-45.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 RWF 737

$1.54 R 24.76

-67.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RWF 1,139

$1.49 R 24.03

-47.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 RWF 678

$1.33 R 21.45

-65.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RWF 1,162

$1.19 R 19.09

-33.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 RWF 2,890

$3.41 R 55.0

-42.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 RWF 14.7K

$5.08 R 81.7

97.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 RWF 1,551

$1.51 R 24.28

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RWF 2,338

$2.03 R 32.64

-21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 RWF 484

$1.76 R 28.39

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.26 RWF 41.5K

$63.1 R 1,016

-55.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 RWF 3,860

$1.12 R 17.97

134.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 RWF 3,037

$1.01 R 16.33

104.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 RWF 5,112

$8.07 R 130

-56.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 RWF 2,573

$1.46 R 23.53

19.86%

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

$26.0K RWF 38.1M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-29.39%

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

$23.6K RWF 34.7M

$32.5K R 523.6K

-27.32%

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

$86.7 RWF 127.2K

$136 R 2,185

-36.08%

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

$7.86 RWF 11.5K

$35.72 R 575

-78.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 RWF 29.6K

$41.40 R 667

-51.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 RWF 44.6K

$34.96 R 563

-13.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.32 RWF 6,335

$12.46 R 201

-65.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 RWF 4,920

$7.62 R 123

-56.04%

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

$134 RWF 197.2K

$231 R 3,725

-41.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,343 RWF 13.7M

$5,726 R 92.2K

63.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.87 RWF 29.1K

$56.4 R 908

-64.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.34 RWF 25.4K

$33.91 R 546

-48.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.81 RWF 39.3K

$102 R 1,639

-73.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.26 RWF 51.7K

$93.0 R 1,497

-62.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 RWF 905.3K

$506 R 8,154

21.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 RWF 507.0K

$418 R 6,727

-17.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 RWF 1.9M

$979 R 15.8K

29.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 RWF 1.2M

$838 R 13.5K

-6.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,410 RWF 5.0M

$1,151 R 18.5K

196.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,005 RWF 4.4M

$800 R 12.9K

275.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 RWF 423.8K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-81.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

11.24

44.13%

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

Last update for Rwanda: September 6, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $210 in Rwanda, $445 in South Africa. Capital cities: $664 in Kigali vs $324 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $232 in Rwanda, $1,553 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 112% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 67% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 569% 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 $623 per month in Rwanda and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 98% 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.