Moving to Rwanda from Kenya
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kenya to Rwanda — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kenya to Rwanda. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Kenya to Rwanda, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Rwanda?
Top countries of origin for Rwanda's foreign-born residents.
- 236,657
- 131,063
- 92,061
- 42,713
-
5.2,575
Kenya
Key Indicator Comparison
How Kenya and Rwanda stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Rwanda performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Rwanda generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya generally does better on environment, though Rwanda leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Kenya generally does better on infrastructure, though Rwanda leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Kenya performs better than Rwanda across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Kenya generally does better on family life, though Rwanda leads in infant mortality.
Data: Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Nairobi | Kigali |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 82°/60°F (28°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Kigali |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.6°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 81°/60°F (27.4°/15.8°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 79°/61°F (26.2°/16.1°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.2°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 81°/59°F (27.1°/15.0°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.0°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 81°/61°F (27.2°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.1°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.6°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Rwanda Meteorology Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya and Rwanda. To live, work, or study long-term in Rwanda, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Rwanda's immigration authority.
Kenya passport holder visiting Rwanda
Visa Free
Rwanda passport holder visiting Kenya
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Rwanda?
With 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Rwanda can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Kenya and Rwanda.
Is Rwanda safe for expats?
Rwanda performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Rwanda is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Rwanda compared to Kenya?
Rwanda generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in health coverage index. There are 1.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Rwanda, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Rwanda scores 49 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Rwanda compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Kigali is 80°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Kigali receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Rwanda?
The official languages in Rwanda are English, French and Kinyarwanda. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
