Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Rwanda Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Rwanda

Name: Rwanda
Address: RW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in United Kingdom versus $503 in Rwanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in United Kingdom versus $802 in Rwanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,579 in United Kingdom versus $1,101 in Rwanda.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 370% more expensive than in Rwanda on average.

United Kingdom (77% above) and Rwanda (62% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,670 to $3,916, compared to $369–$788 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.05

$3.44 RWF 5,029

488.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$27.85 RWF 40.7K

217.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$6.16 RWF 9,007

68.02%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$2.25 RWF 3,293

112.00%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$0.86 RWF 1,253

183.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.53 RWF 778

226.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$1.03 RWF 1,501

565.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$2.01 RWF 2,945

224.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$0.69 RWF 1,010

140.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.03 RWF 1,506

66.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.21 RWF 1,764

82.64%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.04

$1.62 RWF 2,367

152.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.08

$3.92 RWF 5,733

142.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.71

$3.98 RWF 5,822

126.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.54

$3.47 RWF 5,079

308.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$2.64 RWF 3,865

12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$0.82 RWF 1,206

104.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$1.38 RWF 2,016

105.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$1.04 RWF 1,527

227.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$0.46 RWF 672

267.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.76 RWF 1,116

107.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$0.41 RWF 592

173.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.78 RWF 1,139

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.00

$1.70 RWF 2,492

1085.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.79

$10.29 RWF 15.0K

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.02 RWF 1,492

181.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$1.71 RWF 2,500

92.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$0.33 RWF 488

909.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.6

$28.12 RWF 41.1K

242.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.11

$2.70 RWF 3,953

104.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.23 RWF 1,796

30.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.47

$4.19 RWF 6,133

556.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.14 RWF 1,667

66.67%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$24.3K RWF 35.6M

56.63%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$22.5K RWF 32.9M

82.44%

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

$326 £243

$48.81 RWF 71.4K

568.02%

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

$17.18 £12.78

$9.29 RWF 13.6K

84.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.96

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

102.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.17

$31.33 RWF 45.8K

46.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.81

$4.35 RWF 6,365

264.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.26

$3.38 RWF 4,950

308.28%

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

$1,723 £1,281

$138 RWF 201.4K

1150.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$4,312 RWF 6.3M

384.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$18.96 RWF 27.7K

376.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.02

$23.13 RWF 33.8K

91.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$28.23 RWF 41.3K

265.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.3

$34.21 RWF 50.0K

199.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,055

$427 RWF 624.8K

231.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £850

$281 RWF 410.9K

306.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,709

$853 RWF 1.2M

169.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,393

$559 RWF 817.1K

235.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,260

$3,429 RWF 5.0M

67.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,228

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

45.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,428

$284 RWF 415.8K

1048.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

16.43

-65.00%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,266 in United Kingdom, $266 in Rwanda. Capital cities: $2,937 in London vs $573 in Kigali.

National salary averages: $3,192 in United Kingdom, $242 in Rwanda. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 376% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 320% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 557% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1219% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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

United Kingdom vs Rwanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $579 per month in Rwanda and $2,793 in United Kingdom, there's a 383% 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.