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

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

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

Living in South Africa is roughly 114% more expensive than in Rwanda on average.

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

$11.30 R 182

$3.07 RWF 4,504

268.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$25.80 RWF 37.8K

72.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$6.93 RWF 10.2K

-14.86%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.35 RWF 3,449

3.83%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$0.82 RWF 1,197

41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$0.52 RWF 758

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$1.01 RWF 1,482

153.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$1.98 RWF 2,911

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$0.75 RWF 1,100

70.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.03 RWF 1,517

9.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.23 RWF 1,804

48.78%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$1.60 RWF 2,354

59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$3.89 RWF 5,706

114.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$4.06 RWF 5,952

33.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$4.08 RWF 5,991

93.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$2.69 RWF 3,947

-29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$0.88 RWF 1,298

93.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$1.59 RWF 2,328

13.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.02 RWF 1,489

84.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$0.50 RWF 737

208.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$0.78 RWF 1,139

91.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.46 RWF 678

189.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.79 RWF 1,162

50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$1.97 RWF 2,890

73.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$10.01 RWF 14.7K

-49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.06 RWF 1,551

42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.59 RWF 2,338

27.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.33 RWF 484

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$28.26 RWF 41.5K

123.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$2.63 RWF 3,860

-57.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$2.07 RWF 3,037

-51.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$3.48 RWF 5,112

131.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.75 RWF 2,573

-16.57%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$26.0K RWF 38.1M

41.62%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$23.6K RWF 34.7M

37.58%

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

$136 R 2,185

$86.7 RWF 127.2K

56.46%

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

$35.72 R 575

$7.86 RWF 11.5K

354.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$20.19 RWF 29.6K

105.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$30.40 RWF 44.6K

15.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$4.32 RWF 6,335

188.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$3.35 RWF 4,920

127.46%

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

$231 R 3,725

$134 RWF 197.2K

72.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$9,343 RWF 13.7M

-38.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$19.87 RWF 29.1K

183.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$17.34 RWF 25.4K

95.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$26.81 RWF 39.3K

279.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$35.26 RWF 51.7K

163.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$617 RWF 905.3K

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$346 RWF 507.0K

20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,271 RWF 1.9M

-22.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$788 RWF 1.2M

6.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$3,410 RWF 5.0M

-66.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$3,005 RWF 4.4M

-73.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$289 RWF 423.8K

437.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

16.2

-30.62%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $232 in Rwanda. 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

South Africa vs Rwanda: 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.