Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burundi and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Burundi: $761 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Burundi
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Burundi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇧🇮 Burundi

$761

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burundi and in South Africa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $761 in Burundi versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Burundi $761
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,366 in Burundi versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Burundi $1,366
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,972 in Burundi versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Burundi $1,972
South Africa $2,583

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $30–$643 in Burundi. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in Burundi costs about 37% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Burundi 44% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 BIF 11.7K

$10.67 R 178

-63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 BIF 196.0K

$41.66 R 694

57.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.81 BIF 11.4K

$5.80 R 96.6

-34.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 BIF 9,149

$2.36 R 39.29

29.66%

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

$1.75 BIF 5,228

$1.12 R 18.59

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 BIF 4,086

$0.90 R 15.02

52.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 BIF 6,349

$2.42 R 40.26

-12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 BIF 19.4K

$3.06 R 51.0

111.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 BIF 2,835

$1.18 R 19.61

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 BIF 4,051

$1.13 R 18.86

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 BIF 4,441

$1.74 R 28.95

-14.37%

Eggs

$3.65 BIF 10.9K

$2.57 R 42.87

42.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 BIF 25.4K

$8.43 R 140

0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 BIF 33.0K

$5.12 R 85.3

115.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 BIF 27.1K

$7.59 R 127

19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 BIF 13.5K

$1.77 R 29.57

155.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 BIF 1,855

$1.74 R 28.94

-64.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 BIF 5,816

$1.77 R 29.48

10.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 BIF 3,372

$1.76 R 29.31

-35.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 BIF 1,023

$1.49 R 24.85

-77.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 BIF 1,236

$1.47 R 24.41

-72.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 BIF 6,129

$1.10 R 18.28

86.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.1

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 BIF 33.8K

$5.00 R 83.3

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 BIF 6,341

$1.50 R 24.94

41.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 BIF 12.0K

$1.94 R 32.31

107.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 BIF 3,008

$1.48 R 24.62

-31.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.60 BIF 91.4K

$59.3 R 988

-48.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 BIF 14.6K

$1.09 R 18.24

349.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 BIF 9,768

$0.99 R 16.49

230.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.95 BIF 89.5K

$7.46 R 124

301.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 BIF 4,107

$1.43 R 23.80

-4.20%

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

$19.9K BIF 59.4M

$35.3K R 588.3K

-43.67%

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

$21.0K BIF 62.7M

$32.4K R 540.5K

-35.28%

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

$72.5 BIF 216.6K

$133 R 2,212

-45.38%

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

$8.51 BIF 25.4K

$34.83 R 580

-75.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.75 BIF 133.7K

$39.76 R 663

12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.05 BIF 71.9K

$33.09 R 551

-27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$71.1 BIF 212.5K

$11.65 R 194

510.47%

Cinema Ticket

$1.70 BIF 5,072

$7.18 R 120

-76.32%

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

$98.7 BIF 295.0K

$224 R 3,734

-55.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K BIF 30.3M

$5,462 R 91.0K

85.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.92 BIF 98.4K

$54.2 R 903

-39.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.87 BIF 92.3K

$34.13 R 569

-9.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 BIF 266.7K

$102 R 1,701

-12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 BIF 126.2K

$88.5 R 1,475

-52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 BIF 1.3M

$492 R 8,202

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 BIF 268.0K

$398 R 6,628

-77.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 BIF 3.9M

$946 R 15.8K

39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 BIF 784.0K

$827 R 13.8K

-68.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 BIF 8.1M

$1,099 R 18.3K

145.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 BIF 6.2M

$769 R 12.8K

171.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$367 BIF 1.1M

$1,502 R 25.0K

-75.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.17

11.23

26.18%

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

Last update for Burundi: October 27, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Burundi

$259 * 34%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 24.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burundi

$126 16.5%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 64.9% $82

Eating Out

Burundi

$116 15.2%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 36% $42

Accommodation & Living

Burundi

$90 11.8%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 344% $308

Clothing & Footwear

Burundi

$88 11.5%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 42.9% $38

Getting Around

Burundi

$56 7.3%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 27.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Burundi

$27 3.6%

South Africa

$47 4% 72.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $367 in Burundi, $1,488 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5% higher in Burundi.

Dining out costs 67% more in Burundi.

Public transport is 103% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 4.1 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇧🇮 Burundi

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

Same time as Burundi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,689,450

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Burundian Franc BIF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 BIF = 3.35 USD

10,000 BIF = 3.01 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to BIF – Burundian Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇮 Burundian Franc (Fr)

Burundian Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,988 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3.35 USD). 1 EUR = 3,327 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3.01 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to BIF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Burundi South Africa 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Burundi
South Africa

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

Burundi vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $761 per month in Burundi and $1,203 in South Africa, Burundi comes out about 37% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Burundi is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In Burundi, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Burundi wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.