Moving to Rwanda from Tanzania

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tanzania 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 Tanzania to Rwanda, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
42,713

people born in Tanzania live in Rwanda · UN DESA

Who's moving to Rwanda?

Top countries of origin for Rwanda's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2020

per 100,000 people per year

TZ
3.7
RW
3.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TZ
15.8
RW
11.6

Rwanda performs significantly better than Tanzania across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TZ
$119
RW
$177
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

TZ
1.3
RW
1.2

Tanzania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rwanda leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TZ
36.0
RW
62.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TZ
0.3t
RW
0.2t

Tanzania generally does better on environment, though Rwanda leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TZ
2.2
RW
0.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TZ
13.0%
RW
20.2%

Tanzania 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

TZ
2.6%
RW
14.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

TZ
$3,600
RW
$3,000

Tanzania performs better than Rwanda across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

TZ
70.2 yrs
RW
65.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TZ
36.4
RW
26.4

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

Data: Tanzania Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dodoma Rain: 23.9 in/yr (607 mm)
84° / 62°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dodoma Kigali
Jan–Mar 85°/65°F (29°/18°C) 80°/60°F (27°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/58°F (28°/14°C) 82°/60°F (28°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) 80°/60°F (27°/16°C)
View all months
Month Dodoma Kigali
Jan 85°/65°F (29.4°/18.6°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.6°C)
Feb 85°/65°F (29.4°/18.6°C) 81°/60°F (27.4°/15.8°C)
Mar 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.3°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C)
Apr 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) 79°/61°F (26.2°/16.1°C)
May 82°/62°F (28.0°/16.5°C) 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.2°C)
Jun 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.3°C)
Jul 80°/56°F (26.5°/13.6°C) 81°/59°F (27.1°/15.0°C)
Aug 81°/58°F (27.3°/14.2°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.0°C)
Sep 84°/60°F (29.0°/15.3°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.0°C)
Oct 87°/62°F (30.5°/16.9°C) 81°/61°F (27.2°/15.9°C)
Nov 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.3°C) 79°/60°F (26.1°/15.5°C)
Dec 87°/66°F (30.4°/18.8°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.6°C)

Data: Tanzania Meteorological Agency Tanzania Meteorological Agency, Rwanda Meteorology Agency Rwanda Meteorology Agency

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Tanzania 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.

Tanzania passport

Tanzania passport holder visiting Rwanda

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

Rwanda passport holder visiting Tanzania

Visa Free
Rwanda passport holders can enter Tanzania 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 Tanzania and Rwanda.

Is Rwanda safe for expats?

Rwanda performs significantly better than Tanzania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Rwanda is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.7 in Tanzania.

How is healthcare in Rwanda compared to Tanzania?

Tanzania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Rwanda leads in health coverage index. There are 1.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Rwanda, compared to 1.3 in Tanzania. Rwanda scores 49 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Tanzania: 43).

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

The average high temperature in Kigali is 80°F, compared to 84°F in Dodoma. Kigali receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Dodoma gets 23.9 in.

What language do they speak in Rwanda?

The official languages in Rwanda are English, French and Kinyarwanda. In Tanzania, the official languages are English and Swahili.

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At a Glance

TZ RW
Population 63,852,892 13,173,730
Currency Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) Rwandan Franc (RWF)
Languages English, Swahili English, French, Kinyarwanda
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +255 +250
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112