Compare today's RWF to KES (Rwandan Franc to Kenyan Shilling) exchange rates
📈 Rwanda to Kenya Money Transfer Snapshot Today
- Best RWF to KES exchange rate today: KES 0.0844, offered by Mukuru
- Number of money transfer providers compared: 1
- Number of deals and promo codes: 0
- Mid-market
ⓘThe mid-market exchange rate (also called the interbank rate) is the real RWF to KES exchange rate before providers add their margin or fees. exchange rate: 1 RWF = KES 0.0888 (Updated about an hour ago)
See detailed Rwanda to Kenya money transfer comparison below.
Money Transfer Providers that matched the search criteria
If you are making international business money transfers or payments, RemitFinder can assist by matching you with the best options to suit your unique business needs. Get in touch now to see how we can help protect your business revenue by getting you higher exchange rates and lower transfer fees on international business FX.
💡What today's RWF-KES exchange rates mean for you
Compare today's RWF-KES exchange rates and send money from Rwanda to Kenya after comparing numerous money transfer providers. Check the latest exchange rates, read detailed provider reviews, and discover deals and promo codes — all in one place.
RemitFinder compared 1 provider that you can rely on for Rwanda to Kenya money transfers today. Here is a summary of how the competition looks like right now:
Today's Most Competitive Rwanda to Kenya Providers
🥇 Mukuru with 1 RWF = 0.0844 KES (best RWF to KES exchange rate today).
RWF-KES exchange rates fluctuate throughout the day, and top positions can change quickly. This volatility can significantly impact the final KES payout that your recipient gets in Kenya.
That's why we recommend comparing money transfer providers to ensure you can maximize the value of your Rwanda to Kenya remittances.
🔄 Looking for the reverse corridor? Send money from Kenya to Rwanda instead.
Looking for a different option? You can browse all sending countries on our send money from hub, or view all destinations available when sending money from Rwanda.
👇 We also suggest looking beyond today's RWF-KES exchange rate — historical pricing trends show many factors that can affect the overall transfer cost of your transfer.
Whilst RWF-KES exchange rate is crucial, historical data shows that transfer fees, RWF amount sent and payment and delivery methods can also significantly influence your final payout.
Below, we analyze Rwanda to Kenya historical remittance data to help you understand where costs may arise and share some best practices to try to maximize your KES payout.
Data-driven cost insights for Rwanda to Kenya money transfers
When you send money internationally from Rwanda to Kenya, the key factors that will influence the overall cost of your transaction are:
- RWF-KES exchange rate
- Transfer fee
- Payment method
- Delivery method
Ideally, you would want to optimize these 4 factors to try to get the maximum KES payout for your overseas recipient in Kenya.
Another counter-balancing aspect is money transfer speed. If you need to rush money from Rwanda to Kenya, you may have to compromise on some of the above factors whilst optimizing for speed.
To put this into a better perspective using a data-driven approach, we analyzed historical remittance pricing1 for Rwanda to Kenya money transfers to compare transfer costs, FX margins, fees, and payment and delivery methods across providers.
This analysis is based on 190 actual Rwanda to Kenya money transfers handled by 10 providers over the last 5 years (for a RWF 150000 remittance benchmark).
This data-driven approach using real RWF-KES transfer data provides useful insights into identifying the lowest-cost payment and delivery combinations, thereby helping you reduce costs and maximize the amount received.
Before we deep dive, here are the key trends from our analysis, summarized in an easy to read format.
📌 Key insights for Rwanda to Kenya money transfers
- Average total cost: 11.39% (range 0.94% to 46.65%, spread 45.71 percentage points)
- Potential payout difference: On a RWF 150000 transfer, the above variation can save you up to RWF 68,565.00.
- Average FX markup: 4.30% (range -0.96%
ⓘA negative markup generally represents a promotional exchange rate whereby a provider offers an exchange rate that is even higher than the mid-market rate, often on smaller amounts. to 16.62%, spread 17.58 percentage points) - Average transfer fee: RWF 10,413.63 (range RWF 0.00 to RWF 50,000.00)
- Cheapest payment/delivery method combo: Debit Card → Cash Pickup (3.93% avg cost); most expensive is Cash → Bank Deposit (27.25%)
- Payment/delivery method choice impact: Cheapest vs most expensive combo saves 23.32% (RWF 34,980.60 on RWF 150000 transfer).
- Market coverage: ~10 providers on average (competition level: moderate)
- Average speed: About 5 hours
🛠️ Key takeaway: Compare providers using both exchange rate and fees, then optimize your payment and delivery methods to reduce total cost.
Below, we provide detailed data-driven insights on various factors that influence the total cost of your Rwanda to Kenya money transfers.
📈 RWF to KES exchange rate is often the biggest driver of both cost and payout
The exchange rate on your Rwanda to Kenya money transfers is usually the single biggest factor that will determine your overall RWF cost and your recipient's KES payout.
To analyze exchange rates, we will rely on the exchange rate markup (also called FX margin) which is the difference between the mid-market exchange rate
Based on historical pricing data for a RWF 150000 money transfer benchmark, we see the following FX markup ranges for Rwandan Franc to Kenya transfers:
- Average markup: 4.30%
- Median markup: 4.04%
- Lowest markup: -0.96%
ⓘA negative markup generally represents a promotional exchange rate whereby a provider offers an exchange rate that is even higher than the mid-market rate, often on smaller amounts. - Highest markup: 16.62%
That is a spread of 17.58 percentage points between the lowest and highest observed FX markups.
To put this into perspective, on a RWF 150000 transfer, the above markup range is equivalent to roughly KES 26,370.00 purely from differences in the exchange rate. That incremental saving increases to KES 65,925.00 for a RWF 375000 transfer.
🛠️ How to use this insight: When comparing providers for Rwanda to Kenya remittances, pay close attention to the exchange rate you receive. A small difference in the FX markup can quickly outweigh other factors like fees, and the gap generally grows as transfer amounts increase.
RWF to KES exchange rate can be the single most critical factor that determines the cost of your transfer. When comparing providers, keep an eye on the rate you will get.
💰 Transfer fees affect your total Rwanda to Kenya remittance cost
Whilst exchange rate is a major factor affecting total transfer cost, the transfer fee can also have a big impact on how much of your Rwandan Franc reaches your recipient in Kenya.
Based on data from last 5 years, we notice the below about Rwandan Franc to Kenya money transfer fees:
- Average fee: RWF 10,413.63
- Median fee: RWF 5,000.00
- Lowest fee: RWF 0.00
- Highest fee: RWF 50,000.00
The average fee amount of RWF 10,413.63 noted above represents 6.94% of the total amount sent.
Also note that even if two providers provide the same exchange rate, a best vs worst case transfer fee can increase the payout by RWF 50,000.00.
🛠️ How to use this insight: For your next money transfer from Rwanda to Kenyan Shilling, look for providers that provide lower (or even 0) fees.
One caveat to this, though, is something called the hidden fee. Some providers may hide their real fees by offering a 0 or low fee, but providing a lower exchange rate. The money lost due to an inferior FX rate affects your bottom line and is referred to as a hidden fee. Therefore, you should also keep an eye on rates whilst paying attention to fees.
Another point that you should keep in mind is that for larger transfers, fixed fees become a lesser percentage of total amount. But for smaller transfers, fees can be a major part of total cost.
💸 Payment and delivery methods matter for RWF-KES remittances
Based on our detailed analysis of historical Rwanda to Kenya data, we see consistent variation in overall cost amongst the payment method and delivery method you choose.
Here is the average cost for popular payment methods used to send money to Kenya from Rwanda:
- Debit Card: 4.30%
- Credit Card: 4.32%
- Mobile Wallet: 5.68%
- Cash: 14.03%
- Bank Account Transfer: 15.17%
That is a total spread of 10.87 percentage points.
This means that on a RWF 150000 transfer, you could save up to RWF 16,303.50 simply by choosing the best priced payment method.
These savings will only multiply for higher RWF amounts.
Here is the average cost of popular delivery methods used to send money from Rwanda to Kenya:
- Mobile Wallet: 5.22%
- Cash Pickup: 7.55%
- Bank Deposit: 18.88%
The cost difference between the above delivery methods is 13.67 percentage points.
Once again, this means that you could save up to RWF 20,500.35 on a RWF 150000 transfer to Kenya by choosing Mobile Wallet versus Bank Deposit.
As you can imagine, the possible combinations of Rwanda payment methods and Kenya delivery methods will all have disparate cost. Let us look at that next.
Here is a summary of the average cost of payment and delivery method combinations for Rwanda to KES money transfers.
| Payment Method | Delivery Method | Average Cost (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Debit Card | Cash Pickup | 3.93 |
| Credit Card | Cash Pickup | 4.11 |
| Credit Card | Mobile Wallet | 4.60 |
| Debit Card | Mobile Wallet | 4.73 |
| Bank Account Transfer | Cash Pickup | 4.91 |
| Mobile Wallet | Mobile Wallet | 5.68 |
| Bank Account Transfer | Mobile Wallet | 6.16 |
| Cash | Cash Pickup | 9.03 |
| Bank Account Transfer | Bank Deposit | 15.73 |
| Cash | Bank Deposit | 27.25 |
Sorted by Average Cost % (cheapest to most expensive).
As you can see, the difference between these RWF-KES payment and delivery options is significant. Here are some observations:
- Debit Card → Cash Pickup has the lowest average cost at 3.93%.
- Cash → Bank Deposit has the highest average cost at 27.25%.
- Debit Card → Cash Pickup average cost is 23.32 percentage points lower than that of Cash → Bank Deposit.
- This means that on a RWF 150000 money transfer, you could save up to RWF 40,878.75 simply by choosing the best payment and delivery method combo.
- Further, on a RWF 375000 money transfer, the savings increase to RWF 102,196.88.
Here is a quick summary of the average historical cost of various payment and delivery methods for RWF to Kenya money transfers.
💸 Cheapest payment and delivery methods (data-backed)
- Cheapest payment method: Debit Card averaged 4.30%, compared to 15.17% for Bank Account Transfer, a difference of 10.87 percentage points.
- Cheapest delivery method: Mobile Wallet averaged 5.22%, compared to 18.88% for Bank Deposit (13.67 percentage points higher).
- Cheapest combo: Debit Card → Cash Pickup averaged 3.93%, which is 23.32 percentage points lower than Cash → Bank Deposit (27.25%).
🛠️ How to use this insight: As you compare money transfer providers for your next Rwanda to Kenya international money transfer, strive to pair the lowest-cost payment method with the lowest-cost delivery method.
This can help you avoid the pitfall of "great exchange rate, expensive methods".
You can save money on your Rwanda to Kenya remittances by carefully choosing the most economical payment and delivery methods.
🏦 Are banks more expensive than money transfer providers for RWF-KES remittances?
When we compared Rwanda banks with money transfer providers based on 5 years of remittance data, we noticed some patterns.
We observed that traditional banks charged 12.17 percentage points more on average than money transfer providers for Rwanda to Kenya remittances.
This means banks tend to be approximately 2.81x more expensive than money transfer companies.
Here are the key stats behind this comparison:
| Banks | MTOs^ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average transfer fee | RWF 18,718.86 | RWF 5,231.73 | RWF 13,487.13 |
| Exchange rate markup | 6.41% | 2.99% | 3.42 pp* |
| Average total cost (%) | 18.88% | 6.71% | 12.17 pp* |
^MTO: Money transfer operator, a commonly used term for a money transfer provider
*Percentage points
🛠️ How to use this insight: Whilst banks in Rwanda may offer convenience and familiarity, money transfer providers often deliver lower overall cost due to their better exchange rates and lower fees. Even if you want to send money overseas with your bank in Rwanda, we recommend comparing with money transfer companies to find your best options.
📊 Does sending more money reduce the cost of RWF-KES money transfers?
To see if transfer cost varies based on the amount sent, we compared the average cost of sending RWF 150000 vs RWF 375000 from Rwanda to Kenya.
We found that sending a higher amount (RWF 375000) tends to be cheaper - average cost drops from 11.39% to 8.23%, a reduction of 3.16 percentage points.
The cost of your transfer usually continues to drop as transfer amount increases. That said, always check the latest exchange rates and fees for your intended transfer amount.
🛠️ How to use this insight: Since it is generally cheaper to send higher Rwandan Franc amounts to Kenya, consider consolidating smaller, more frequent transfers into fewer, larger ones. Doing so may reduce the total cost you pay.
🏛 How competitive is the Rwanda to Kenya remittance market?
Based on data from the last 5 years, RWF-KES money transfers are provided on an average by 10 remittance companies. With around 10 providers serving this market, we consider the level of competition to be moderate.
Banks and money transfer providers have had a fairly balanced presence in this corridor: banks account for 50% of providers (5 out of 10).
A remittance market with more active providers is typically more competitive. This means you can get a better pricing and more payment and delivery options for your Rwanda to Kenya remittances.
⏱️ How fast are RWF-KES money transfers?
If your recipient in Kenya needs funds urgently, you may need to optimize your transfer for speed.
Here is what we see for Rwanda to Kenya transfers when it comes to processing time:
- Average transfer time: About 5 hours.
- Fastest transfer time: About less than 1 hour.
- Slowest transfer time: About 48 hours (~2.0 days).
- Average speed at RWF 150000: About 5 hours.
- Average speed at RWF 375000: About 5 hours.
Banks vs money transfer providers speed comparison: Banks take 7 hours longer on average than money transfer providers.
🛠️ How to use this insight: If you need to send money from Rwanda to Kenya in a hurry, compare providers not just on exchange rate, but also on expected speed. Speed also varies based on the delivery method (bank vs cash vs wallet) you choose for Kenya.
Rwanda to Kenya transfer speed varies across providers, so compare transfer speed along with cost for time-sensitive money transfers. In addition, pick the fastest payment and delivery methods for faster processing.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rwanda to Kenya money transfers
These FAQs use data from RemitFinder's historical analysis of Rwanda to Kenya money transfers over several years.
What factors affect the total cost of sending money from Rwanda to Kenya?
The total cost of your RWF-KES money transfer depends on how you fund the transaction (payment method), how the recipient receives it (delivery method), the exchange rate you get, and any transfer fee charged by the provider.
To avoid overpaying for your transfer, compare money transfer providers.
How much does the exchange rate affect Rwanda to Kenya transfers?
Historical RWF to KES exchange rate markup ranges from -0.96% to 16.62%, a spread of 17.58 percentage points. Even small differences in the exchange rate markup can impact your final payout significantly.
Can RWF-KES exchange rate markup be negative?
Sometimes, money transfer providers may offer promotional exchange rates that are better than the mid-market exchange rate, resulting in a negative RWF-KES exchange rate markup.
Such offers are generally limited by transfer amount, eligibility, or duration. Compare providers to see if you can take advantage of any ongoing special offers.
Is the exchange rate or the transfer fee more important for Rwanda to Kenya transfers?
Exchange rate markup ranges from -0.96% to 16.62% (a spread of 17.58 percentage points).
Transfer fees range from RWF 0.00 to RWF 50000.00, which equals roughly 33.33% on a RWF 150000.00 transfer.
At RWF 150000.00, the larger driver of overall cost is the transfer fee, whilst at RWF 375000.00, it shifts toward exchange rate markup.
Regardless, our recommendation is that it is important to compare both exchange rates and fees when choosing a provider for Rwanda to Kenya transfers.
As the transfer amount increases, the % impact of fees decreases (because the fee gets spread across a larger RWF amount), whilst exchange rate markup remains a percentage-based cost that can scale with transfer size.
For smaller transfers, fees can matter more, whilst for larger transfers, exchange rate often becomes the bigger driver. Either way, comparing both helps you get the most KES for your RWF.
How much can Rwanda to Kenya transfer costs vary between providers?
Historical transfer cost ranges from 0.94% to 46.65% for RWF transfers to Kenya. That is a spread of 45.71 percentage points, meaning significant differences between various money transfer providers.
A major contributor to this variation is exchange rate markup. FX markup alone ranges from -0.96% to 16.62% (a spread of 17.58 percentage points). Thus, even small differences in FX margin can have a big impact on the final KES payout.
Why do various money transfer providers price RWF to Kenya transfers differently?
If you send the same Rwandan Franc amount to Kenya via different providers, the cost of each transfer will be different because of variations in FX markup, fees, and payment and delivery methods.
Even small differences among all the above factors can change the final KES payout in Kenya in a big way.
How stable are transfer costs in the Rwanda to Kenya corridor?
When we analyzed the historical total cost for RWF-KES transfers, we observed a range from 0.94% to 46.65% (45.71 percentage points difference), along with a variability (standard deviation) of 11.52%.
A major driver of cost in this market is exchange rate markup. FX markup ranges from -0.96% to 16.62% (17.58 percentage points difference), with a standard deviation of 3.61%. Fees and payment/delivery method choices can contribute to further volatility.
This is exactly why we recommend comparing money transfer providers to get the most of your RWF-KES transfers.
Which payment method is cheapest for Rwanda to Kenya remittances?
Debit Card is the cheapest payment method in Rwanda based on its average cost at 4.30% (compared to Bank Account Transfer at 15.17%, a difference of 10.87 percentage points).
Based on this, we recommend paying for your RWF transfer with Debit Card, and avoiding Bank Account Transfer if possible.
Is Debit Card cheaper than Credit Card for Rwanda to Kenya transfers?
Debit Card is cheaper on average when sending money to Kenya from Rwanda since it costs 4.30% (compared to 4.32% for Credit Card payments, a difference of 0.03 percentage points).
As a result, we recommend that you avoid paying for your transfer to Kenya with a Credit Card.
Which delivery method is cheapest for RWF-KES money transfers?
Mobile Wallet is the cheapest delivery method in Kenya as it costs 5.22% (compared to Bank Deposit at 18.88%, a spread of 13.67 percentage points).
If your recipient in Kenya can accept Mobile Wallet, we recommend choosing it as your preferred delivery option for RWF-KES transfers.
Is Bank Deposit cheaper than Cash Pickup for Rwanda to Kenya transfers?
Cash Pickup is cheaper for transfers to Kenya given its 18.88% average cost (versus 7.55% for Cash Pickup, a difference of 11.33 percentage points).
To save more, consider choosing the cheapest delivery option for Kenya.
What is the cheapest way to send money from Rwanda to Kenya?
We evaluated 10 payment and delivery method combinations for Rwanda to Kenya remittances.
Based on historical data, Debit Card → Cash Pickup is the cheapest combination with 3.93% cost.
At the other end of the spectrum, Cash → Bank Deposit is the most expensive combination at 27.25% cost. That is a difference of 23.32 percentage points between the cheapest and most expensive combinations.
Money transfer providers tend to price payment and delivery methods for Rwanda to Kenya remittances differently. As you compare options, look for the cheapest payment-delivery method combo to maximize the value of your RWF-KES transfers.
Does sending more money reduce the cost for Rwanda to Kenya transfers?
Larger RWF-KES transfers are cheaper on average.
The cost of a RWF 150000 transfer averages 11.39% as compared to 8.23% for a RWF 375000 transfer, a difference of 3.16 percentage points.
How long does it take to send money from Rwanda to Kenya?
Based on our analysis, the average transfer time for RWF-KES transfers is 5 hours, with the fastest transfers completing in less than one hour and the slowest in 48 hours (~2.0 days).
Are instant transfers available from Rwanda to Kenya?
Yes, historical data shows that some transfers to Kenya from Rwanda can complete in less than one hour.
Note that the actual speed of your RWF-KES transfer will depend on the chosen provider, payment method, delivery method, and eligibility checks.
Are banks more expensive than money transfer companies for Rwanda to Kenya?
Banks in Rwanda are more expensive than money transfer providers.
The average cost of banks is 18.88% compared to 6.71% for money transfer providers in Rwanda, a difference of 12.17 percentage points.
Why do banks charge more for Rwanda to Kenya transfers?
Bank transfers in Rwanda cost 18.88% compared to 6.71% for money transfer companies.
The difference is often due to the fact that banks in Rwanda provider lower exchange rates and charge high wire transfer fees.
How competitive is the Rwanda to Kenya remittance market?
Based on historical data, the competition level in Rwanda to Kenya is considered moderate with 10 active providers.
Money transfer providers represent about 50% of identified providers in Rwanda.
Do I risk overpaying if I do not compare providers for Rwanda to Kenya?
Historically, total RWF-KES transfer cost has varied by 45.71 percentage points. On a RWF 150000 transfer, that can translate to RWF 68565.00 in savings.
RWF-KES exchange rate markup also varies across providers. The average markup spread has been about 17.58 percentage points. On a RWF 150000 transfer, that could be RWF 26370.00 saved from FX alone.
Fees can also make a big difference in this market, with a difference of about RWF 50000.00 across providers.
That is why comparing providers can materially change how much of the RWF you send does your recipient receive in Kenya in Kenya.
Latest RWF to KES Conversion Rates
Here are some latest RWF to KES (Rwandan Franc to Kenyan Shilling) exchange rates for popular conversion amounts*.
| 1 RWF | 0.09 KES |
| 5 RWF | 0.44 KES |
| 10 RWF | 0.89 KES |
| 25 RWF | 2.22 KES |
| 50 RWF | 4.44 KES |
| 100 RWF | 8.88 KES |
| 150 RWF | 13.32 KES |
| 200 RWF | 17.76 KES |
| 250 RWF | 22.20 KES |
| 300 RWF | 26.64 KES |
| 400 RWF | 35.52 KES |
| 500 RWF | 44.40 KES |
| 600 RWF | 53.28 KES |
| 700 RWF | 62.16 KES |
| 800 RWF | 71.04 KES |
| 1000 RWF | 88.80 KES |
| 1500 RWF | 133.20 KES |
| 2000 RWF | 177.60 KES |
| 2500 RWF | 222.00 KES |
| 3000 RWF | 266.40 KES |
| 4000 RWF | 355.20 KES |
| 5000 RWF | 444.00 KES |
| 10000 RWF | 888.00 KES |
| 15000 RWF | 1,332.00 KES |
| 20000 RWF | 1,776.00 KES |
| 30000 RWF | 2,664.00 KES |
| 40000 RWF | 3,552.00 KES |
| 50000 RWF | 4,440.00 KES |
| 100000 RWF | 8,880.00 KES |
*Based on the Mid-market Exchange Rate
1 Based on 190 pricing observations across 10 firms over the last 5 years for a RWF 150000 money transfer from Rwanda to Kenya. Data Source: The World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide, available at http://remittanceprices.worldbank.org.
How we analyze remittance data?
Insights are derived from the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide dataset, which collects standardized provider pricing information at defined transfer amounts.
We aggregate this data across multiple providers and multi-year periods to calculate averages, medians, and variability measures in order to identify consistent pricing patterns for the Rwanda to Kenya remittance corridor.
RemitFinder does not modify the underlying World Bank data. The analysis presented here is independently calculated from published datasets and is intended for informational and comparison purposes only.