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

Name: Rwanda
Address: RW

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in South Africa is roughly 103% more expensive than in Rwanda on average.

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

$9.14 R 151

$3.44 RWF 5,029

165.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$27.85 RWF 40.7K

40.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$6.16 RWF 9,007

-15.75%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$2.25 RWF 3,293

-12.00%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.86 RWF 1,253

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.53 RWF 778

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.03 RWF 1,501

114.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$2.01 RWF 2,945

27.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$0.69 RWF 1,010

62.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.03 RWF 1,506

-5.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.21 RWF 1,764

27.27%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$1.62 RWF 2,367

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$3.92 RWF 5,733

100.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$3.98 RWF 5,822

15.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$3.47 RWF 5,079

92.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$2.64 RWF 3,865

-40.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$0.82 RWF 1,206

79.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$1.38 RWF 2,016

10.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.04 RWF 1,527

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.46 RWF 672

173.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$0.76 RWF 1,116

67.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.41 RWF 592

165.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.78 RWF 1,139

24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.70 RWF 2,492

67.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$10.29 RWF 15.0K

-49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$1.02 RWF 1,492

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.71 RWF 2,500

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.33 RWF 488

421.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$28.12 RWF 41.1K

57.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$2.70 RWF 3,953

-57.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$1.23 RWF 1,796

-13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$4.19 RWF 6,133

13.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.14 RWF 1,667

12.28%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$24.3K RWF 35.6M

-16.24%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$22.5K RWF 32.9M

6.74%

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

$113 R 1,869

$48.81 RWF 71.4K

131.37%

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

$32.35 R 536

$9.29 RWF 13.6K

248.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

95.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$31.33 RWF 45.8K

-0.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$4.35 RWF 6,365

123.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$3.38 RWF 4,950

97.34%

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

$186 R 3,072

$138 RWF 201.4K

34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$4,312 RWF 6.3M

2.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$18.96 RWF 27.7K

164.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$23.13 RWF 33.8K

31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$28.23 RWF 41.3K

230.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$34.21 RWF 50.0K

135.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$427 RWF 624.8K

2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$281 RWF 410.9K

32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$853 RWF 1.2M

5.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$559 RWF 817.1K

26.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$3,429 RWF 5.0M

-67.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

-73.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$284 RWF 415.8K

429.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

16.43

-29.70%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $242 in Rwanda. 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

South Africa vs Rwanda: 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.