Cost to send money from Rwanda to Kenya
Sending RWF 150,000 from Rwanda to Kenya cost 22.56% of the amount on average in Q3 2025, across 7 services surveyed by the World Bank. The lowest cost was 2.38% (Ecobank Rapidcash) and the highest 45.80%. RWF 150,000 is the World Bank's standard amount for this corridor, set as the equivalent of US$200. A year earlier, in Q3 2024, the average was 15.24%.
| Average total cost (US$200 equivalent) | 22.56% |
| Average total cost (US$500 equivalent) | 13.48% |
| Average FX margin | 5.88% |
| Money transfer operators | 10.96% across 2 services |
| Banks | 32.23% across 4 services |
| Surveyed | 18 Aug 2025 to 25 Aug 2025, 5 providers |
Every service surveyed, cheapest first
Total cost is the fee plus the FX margin, as a share of RWF 150,000. The World Bank recorded some services in this corridor on a different send amount; their figures are shown as recorded.
| Provider | Type | Pay by | Receive as | Speed | Fee | FX margin | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecobank Rapidcash | Bank | Bank account transfer | Bank account | Less than one hour | RWF 1,700.00 on RWF 150,000 | 1.25% | 2.38% |
| MoneyGram | Money Transfer Operator | Cash | Cash | Less than one hour | RWF 5,000.00 on RWF 150,000 | 3.39% | 6.72% |
| MTN Mobile Money | Mobile Operator | Mobile money | Mobile wallet | Less than one hour | RWF 2,000.00 on RWF 150,000 | 5.81% | 7.14% |
| Western Union | Money Transfer Operator | Cash | Cash | Less than one hour | RWF 19.00 on RWF 200 | 5.69% | 15.19% |
| Ecobank Rapidcash | Bank | Bank account transfer | Bank account | Same day | RWF 50,570.00 on RWF 150,000 | 1.23% | 34.94% |
| BPR Bank Rwanda Plc | Bank | Cash | Own/partner Bank account | Next day | RWF 50,820.00 on RWF 150,000 | 11.90% | 45.78% |
| BPR Bank Rwanda Plc | Bank | Bank account transfer | Own/partner Bank account | Less than one hour | RWF 50,855.10 on RWF 150,000 | 11.90% | 45.80% |
How the cost has moved
The average was 8.09% in Q2 2016, the first quarter in this series with data for the corridor, and 22.56% in Q3 2025.
The UN target
The UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to bring the global average cost of sending remittances below 3% by 2030 and to remove corridors costing more than 5%. The World Bank measures the 5% test on the average of the three cheapest qualifying services in each corridor, not on the corridor average. source In this corridor the three cheapest services surveyed averaged 5.41% (a plain average, without the World Bank's qualifying rules).
Related
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send money from Rwanda to Kenya?
Sending RWF 150,000 from Rwanda to Kenya cost 22.56% of the amount on average in Q3 2025, across 7 services surveyed by the World Bank. The lowest cost was 2.38% (Ecobank Rapidcash) and the highest 45.80%. RWF 150,000 is the World Bank's standard amount for this corridor, set as the equivalent of US$200. A year earlier, in Q3 2024, the average was 15.24%.
Which service cost least from Rwanda to Kenya?
In the World Bank's Q3 2025 survey the lowest total cost was 2.38% of RWF 150,000, from Ecobank Rapidcash. Costs change with exchange rates, so check current prices with each provider.
Where Polynopsis fits
The companies surveyed here move money across borders every day, and many of them prefund payout partners in the receiving country. Polynopsis is liquidity software for those companies: one live position across their banks, payout partners and wallets, with a warning before a corridor runs dry.
Data: World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide (complete dataset, licensed CC BY 4.0). Averages and charts are worked out by Polynopsis from that dataset. Services without a US$200 quote are left out of the averages, so a few corridors differ slightly from the World Bank site. Each corridor uses the local send amount the World Bank set as the equivalent of US$200; where that amount is now worth much less than US$200, fixed fees make the percentage cost higher.
Know where all your money is.
Polynopsis gives cross-border payment teams one live position across every bank, payout partner, exchange and wallet, including money in flight, and warns before a corridor runs dry.
About Polynopsis
Polynopsis is liquidity management software for cross-border payment companies. The name joins poly, many, and synopsis, a seeing together: one live view of money spread across many banks, payout partners, exchanges and stablecoin wallets, including money in flight, with a warning before any corridor runs dry.
Why it is called Polynopsis · About Polynopsis · Glossary · Corridor runway calculator