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: $2,405 in United Kingdom versus $533 in Rwanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,520 in United Kingdom versus $836 in Rwanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,635 in United Kingdom versus $1,139 in Rwanda.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 351% more expensive than in Rwanda on average.

United Kingdom (74% above) and Rwanda (61% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,100 to $4,235, compared to $375–$870 in Rwanda. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$3.07 RWF 4,504

600.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$25.80 RWF 37.8K

240.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$6.93 RWF 10.2K

57.14%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$2.35 RWF 3,449

109.36%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$0.82 RWF 1,197

215.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.52 RWF 758

253.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

$1.01 RWF 1,482

584.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

$1.98 RWF 2,911

246.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$0.75 RWF 1,100

122.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.03 RWF 1,517

62.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.23 RWF 1,804

78.86%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$1.60 RWF 2,354

161.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$3.89 RWF 5,706

156.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$4.06 RWF 5,952

133.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$4.08 RWF 5,991

277.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$2.69 RWF 3,947

12.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$0.88 RWF 1,298

93.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$1.59 RWF 2,328

83.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$1.02 RWF 1,489

231.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.50 RWF 737

268.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.78 RWF 1,139

102.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$0.46 RWF 678

173.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.79 RWF 1,162

115.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$1.97 RWF 2,890

1128.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

$10.01 RWF 14.7K

9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$1.06 RWF 1,551

181.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$1.59 RWF 2,338

113.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$0.33 RWF 484

939.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$28.26 RWF 41.5K

272.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$2.63 RWF 3,860

103.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$2.07 RWF 3,037

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$3.48 RWF 5,112

691.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.75 RWF 2,573

10.29%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$26.0K RWF 38.1M

52.67%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$23.6K RWF 34.7M

72.06%

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

$321 £238

$86.7 RWF 127.2K

270.69%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$7.86 RWF 11.5K

137.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$20.19 RWF 29.6K

117.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$30.40 RWF 44.6K

53.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$4.32 RWF 6,335

333.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$3.35 RWF 4,920

303.88%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$134 RWF 197.2K

1193.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$9,343 RWF 13.7M

142.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$19.87 RWF 29.1K

357.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$17.34 RWF 25.4K

173.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$26.81 RWF 39.3K

292.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$35.26 RWF 51.7K

187.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$617 RWF 905.3K

123.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$346 RWF 507.0K

216.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$1,271 RWF 1.9M

74.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$788 RWF 1.2M

130.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$3,410 RWF 5.0M

68.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$3,005 RWF 4.4M

50.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$289 RWF 423.8K

1052.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

16.2

-67.16%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,285 in United Kingdom, $210 in Rwanda. Capital cities: $2,926 in London vs $664 in Kigali.

National salary averages: $3,292 in United Kingdom, $232 in Rwanda. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 512% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 250% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 682% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 1319% 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 $623 per month in Rwanda and $2,668 in United Kingdom, there's a 329% 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.