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: $500 in Rwanda versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $799 in Rwanda versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,098 in Rwanda versus $2,175 in South Africa.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Rwanda 63% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Rwanda ($366–$781) and South Africa ($819–$1,339) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 RWF 4,951

$9.05 R 147

-62.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.47 RWF 40.1K

$39.48 R 642

-30.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 RWF 8,814

$4.94 R 80.3

22.27%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RWF 3,162

$2.06 R 33.47

5.34%

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

$0.84 RWF 1,232

$0.95 R 15.40

-11.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 RWF 721

$0.81 R 13.13

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 RWF 1,543

$2.21 R 35.90

-52.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 RWF 2,903

$2.48 R 40.33

-19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 RWF 967

$1.11 R 18.07

-40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 RWF 1,511

$1.02 R 16.64

1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RWF 1,770

$1.56 R 25.28

-22.44%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,334

$2.34 R 38.05

-31.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.87 RWF 5,643

$7.73 R 126

-49.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 RWF 5,861

$4.49 R 73.1

-10.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.58 RWF 5,216

$6.73 R 109

-46.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 RWF 3,915

$1.56 R 25.40

71.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 RWF 1,280

$1.43 R 23.22

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RWF 2,129

$1.44 R 23.48

1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 RWF 1,465

$1.51 R 24.55

-33.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 RWF 681

$1.22 R 19.81

-61.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 RWF 1,179

$1.28 R 20.74

-36.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 RWF 587

$1.04 R 16.89

-61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RWF 1,136

$0.94 R 15.21

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 RWF 2,476

$2.99 R 48.55

-43.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 RWF 14.9K

$5.16 R 83.8

98.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RWF 1,408

$1.39 R 22.55

-30.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 RWF 2,378

$1.66 R 26.93

-1.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 RWF 496

$1.63 R 26.48

-79.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 RWF 40.4K

$45.05 R 732

-38.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 RWF 3,937

$1.13 R 18.41

138.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 RWF 1,777

$1.10 R 17.93

10.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 RWF 6,217

$4.86 R 78.9

-12.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 RWF 1,647

$1.24 R 20.15

-8.87%

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

$24.1K RWF 35.2M

$20.3K R 330.2K

18.79%

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

$22.6K RWF 32.9M

$23.5K R 381.4K

-3.79%

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

$50.1 RWF 73.1K

$113 R 1,843

-55.82%

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

$9.44 RWF 13.8K

$32.36 R 526

-70.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.31 RWF 31.1K

$41.45 R 674

-48.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.45 RWF 45.9K

$31.59 R 513

-0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.28 RWF 6,249

$9.61 R 156

-55.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 RWF 5,159

$6.83 R 111

-48.17%

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

$138 RWF 201.1K

$187 R 3,039

-26.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,359 RWF 6.4M

$4,362 R 70.9K

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.98 RWF 27.7K

$49.50 R 804

-61.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.10 RWF 33.7K

$30.42 R 494

-24.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.73 RWF 40.5K

$91.7 R 1,489

-69.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.43 RWF 50.2K

$78.9 R 1,281

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 RWF 620.5K

$442 R 7,175

-3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 RWF 425.1K

$367 R 5,963

-20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 RWF 1.3M

$884 R 14.4K

0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 RWF 825.5K

$723 R 11.8K

-21.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,367 RWF 4.9M

$1,090 R 17.7K

208.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,036 RWF 4.4M

$780 R 12.7K

289.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$281 RWF 409.7K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-81.97%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $264 in Rwanda, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $568 in Kigali vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $244 in Rwanda, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 523% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 $574 per month in Rwanda and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 88% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rwanda is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.