Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bujumbura and Cairo

For one person, living costs are similar in Bujumbura and in Cairo: $659 and $643 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Bujumbura
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Bujumbura Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Bujumbura

🇧🇮 Burundi

$659

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bujumbura and in Cairo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bujumbura and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $659 in Bujumbura versus $643 in Cairo.

Bujumbura $659
Cairo $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Bujumbura versus $1,037 in Cairo.

Bujumbura $1,170
Cairo $1,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,681 in Bujumbura versus $1,431 in Cairo.

Bujumbura $1,681
Cairo $1,431

Living in Bujumbura is roughly 2% more expensive than in Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bujumbura 51% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 BIF 11.6K

$4.69 E£245

-16.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 BIF 193.3K

$28.49 E£1,491

127.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 BIF 11.2K

$6.03 E£315

-37.65%

Cappuccino

$3.08 BIF 9,190

$1.81 E£94.7

70.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 BIF 5,323

$0.35 E£18.18

411.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 BIF 4,099

$0.15 E£7.95

820.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 BIF 6,656

$1.45 E£76.0

53.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 BIF 19.4K

$2.24 E£117

189.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 BIF 3,094

$0.97 E£50.7

7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 BIF 6,146

$0.73 E£37.96

182.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 BIF 5,813

$0.77 E£40.24

153.25%

Eggs

$3.56 BIF 10.6K

$1.17 E£61.2

204.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 BIF 24.7K

$4.32 E£226

92.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.40 BIF 34.0K

$5.07 E£265

124.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 BIF 34.3K

$8.92 E£467

28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 BIF 17.3K

$1.83 E£95.8

217.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 BIF 6,156

$0.57 E£29.78

263.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 BIF 4,906

$0.51 E£26.62

223.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 BIF 5,958

$0.24 E£12.57

733.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 BIF 33.2K

$7.48 E£391

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 BIF 6,563

$1.52 E£79.4

44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 BIF 12.3K

$2.13 E£112

93.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 BIF 3,131

$0.33 E£17.10

218.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 BIF 90.3K

$8.66 E£453

249.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 BIF 15.0K

$0.37 E£19.27

1262.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 BIF 10.2K

$0.20 E£10.65

1605.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 BIF 88.9K

$1.49 E£77.8

1902.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 BIF 4,041

$0.46 E£23.94

195.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.6K E£1.7M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.4K E£1.5M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$27.54 E£1,441

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.83 BIF 23.3K

$8.27 E£432

-5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 BIF 203.4K

$14.05 E£735

385.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.83 BIF 80.0K

$28.27 E£1,479

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

Cinema Ticket

$1.66 BIF 4,947

$4.40 E£230

-62.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$102 BIF 303.3K

$121 E£6,356

-16.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,953 BIF 29.7M

$3,619 E£189.3K

175.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 BIF 1.3M

$220 E£11.5K

94.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 BIF 267.2K

$194 E£10.2K

-53.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 BIF 4.0M

$514 E£26.9K

160.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 BIF 785.6K

$334 E£17.5K

-20.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,055 BIF 6.1M

$806 E£42.2K

154.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,616 BIF 4.8M

$513 E£26.9K

214.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 BIF 1.1M

$200 E£10.5K

86.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.17

16.21

-12.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bujumbura: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Bujumbura

$280 * 43.2%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 49.6% $139

Eating Out

Bujumbura

$116 17.9%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 21.7% $25

Accommodation & Living

Bujumbura

$90 13.8%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 117% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bujumbura

$76 * 11.7%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 34.5% $26

Getting Around

Bujumbura

$57 8.7%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 79.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Bujumbura

$30 4.6%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 23% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bujumbura

- * 0%

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Bujumbura and $220 in Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bujumbura pays 87% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Bujumbura vs $28.00 in Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $141 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇮 Bujumbura

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

1 h ahead of Bujumbura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

658,859

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Burundian Franc BIF Fr

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 BIF = 3.36 USD

10,000 BIF = 2.99 EUR

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to BIF – Burundian Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇮 Burundian Franc (Fr)

Burundian Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,980 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3.36 USD). 1 EUR = 3,339 BIF (10,000 BIF = 2.99 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.63 EGP (100 EGP = 1.71 EUR).

USD to BIF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bujumbura Cairo 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bujumbura
Cairo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bujumbura vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Bujumbura. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cairo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Bujumbura, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $427 in Bujumbura versus $220 in Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $659 per month in Bujumbura versus $643 in Cairo – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cairo runs roughly 250% less than in Bujumbura. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cairo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bujumbura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.