Moving to Rwanda from Senegal

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Senegal to Rwanda — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Senegal to Rwanda.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Senegal and Rwanda stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SN
20.8
RW
11.6

Rwanda performs significantly better than Senegal across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SN
$206
RW
$177
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SN
1.3
RW
1.2

Senegal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rwanda leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SN
65.0
RW
62.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SN
0.8t
RW
0.2t

Rwanda performs significantly better than Senegal across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SN
1.4
RW
0.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SN
16.3%
RW
20.2%

Senegal performs better than Rwanda across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SN
2.9%
RW
14.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SN
$4,400
RW
$3,000

Senegal generally does better on employment & economy, though Rwanda leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SN
70.0 yrs
RW
65.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SN
32.4
RW
26.4

Senegal generally does better on family life, though Rwanda leads in infant mortality.

Data: Direction Generale des Impots et des Domaines, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dakar Rain: 14.9 in/yr (379 mm)
82° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Kigali Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
80° / 60°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dakar Kigali
Jan–Mar 77°/64°F (25°/18°C) 80°/60°F (27°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 79°/70°F (26°/21°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) 82°/60°F (28°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 85°/73°F (29°/23°C) 80°/60°F (27°/16°C)
View all months
Month Dakar Kigali
Jan 77°/64°F (24.9°/17.9°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.6°C)
Feb 77°/64°F (24.8°/17.8°C) 81°/60°F (27.4°/15.8°C)
Mar 77°/65°F (25.1°/18.3°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C)
Apr 76°/66°F (24.7°/19.1°C) 79°/61°F (26.2°/16.1°C)
May 79°/69°F (25.9°/20.6°C) 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.2°C)
Jun 83°/74°F (28.5°/23.5°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.3°C)
Jul 86°/77°F (29.9°/25.0°C) 81°/59°F (27.1°/15.0°C)
Aug 86°/77°F (30.2°/25.2°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.0°C)
Sep 87°/77°F (30.6°/25.0°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.0°C)
Oct 88°/77°F (30.9°/25.2°C) 81°/61°F (27.2°/15.9°C)
Nov 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.2°C) 79°/60°F (26.1°/15.5°C)
Dec 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.6°C)

Data: Agence nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la Météorologie (ANACIM) Agence nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la Météorologie (ANACIM), Rwanda Meteorology Agency Rwanda Meteorology Agency

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Senegal 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.

Senegal passport

Senegal passport holder visiting Rwanda

Visa Free
Senegal passport holders can enter Rwanda without a visa.
Rwanda passport

Rwanda passport holder visiting Senegal

Visa Free
Rwanda passport holders can enter Senegal without a visa.

Data: 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 Senegal and Rwanda.

Is Rwanda safe for expats?

Rwanda performs significantly better than Senegal across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Rwanda compared to Senegal?

Senegal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rwanda leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Rwanda, compared to 1.3 in Senegal. Rwanda scores 49 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Senegal: 50).

What's the weather like in Rwanda compared to Senegal?

The average high temperature in Kigali is 80°F, compared to 82°F in Dakar. Kigali receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Dakar gets 14.9 in.

What language do they speak in Rwanda?

The official languages in Rwanda are English, French and Kinyarwanda. In Senegal, the official language is French.

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At a Glance

SN RW
Population 17,923,036 13,173,730
Currency CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA) Rwandan Franc (RWF)
Languages French English, French, Kinyarwanda
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +221 +250
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 17 112