Cost of Living Comparison Between Burundi and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Burundi and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $264 in Burundi versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $483 in Burundi versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $702 in Burundi versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Burundi costs about 74% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Burundi 80% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Burundi ($30.00–$498) and South Africa ($803–$1,362) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 BIF 5,415

$9.14 R 150

-80.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.29 BIF 99.0K

$39.14 R 643

-14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.75 BIF 11.2K

$5.19 R 85.3

-27.75%

Cappuccino

$3.50 BIF 10.4K

$1.98 R 32.50

76.77%

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

$1.65 BIF 4,917

$1.00 R 16.45

65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 BIF 3,396

$0.79 R 12.92

44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BIF 6,578

$2.21 R 36.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 BIF 17.0K

$2.57 R 42.28

122.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 BIF 2,742

$1.12 R 18.43

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BIF 3,479

$0.97 R 15.90

20.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 BIF 4,867

$1.54 R 25.37

6.49%

Eggs

$3.31 BIF 9,831

$2.25 R 36.96

47.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 BIF 31.1K

$7.86 R 129

32.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 BIF 29.0K

$4.58 R 75.3

113.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 BIF 30.4K

$6.68 R 110

53.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 BIF 17.7K

$1.57 R 25.88

278.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.52 BIF 1,555

$1.47 R 24.18

-64.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 BIF 5,211

$1.52 R 25.00

15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 BIF 3,317

$1.51 R 24.81

-25.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 BIF 1,190

$1.26 R 20.71

-68.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 BIF 1,455

$1.27 R 20.96

-61.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 BIF 1,495

$1.09 R 17.86

-54.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 BIF 5,017

$0.97 R 15.93

74.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 BIF 7,124

$2.84 R 46.62

-15.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 BIF 34.0K

$5.20 R 85.5

119.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 BIF 6,110

$1.38 R 22.74

48.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 BIF 9,358

$1.72 R 28.24

83.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 BIF 2,962

$1.72 R 28.30

-41.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.98 BIF 89.2K

$44.22 R 727

-32.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 BIF 19.8K

$1.15 R 18.93

478.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 BIF 10.4K

$1.07 R 17.51

226.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 BIF 87.9K

$4.74 R 77.8

523.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 BIF 3,921

$1.28 R 21.09

3.13%

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

$20.4K R 334.8K

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

$24.0K R 394.3K

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

$113 R 1,856

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

$6.31 BIF 18.8K

$32.35 R 532

-80.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 BIF 60.1K

$41.46 R 682

-51.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 510

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

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

$105 BIF 312.1K

$186 R 3,051

-43.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K BIF 32.0M

$4,399 R 72.3K

144.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 824

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 499

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,535

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,322

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 BIF 859.5K

$439 R 7,210

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$72.5 BIF 215.7K

$372 R 6,112

-80.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 BIF 1.4M

$903 R 14.8K

-47.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 BIF 872.4K

$705 R 11.6K

-58.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 BIF 8.0M

$1,116 R 18.3K

142.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 BIF 6.1M

$793 R 13.0K

159.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 BIF 1.1M

$1,506 R 24.8K

-75.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.17

11.55

22.68%

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

Last update for Burundi: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $363 in Burundi, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 156% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 106% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 317% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 $264 per month in Burundi and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 310% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Burundi: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Burundi across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.