Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Burundi

Name: Burundi
Address: BI

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.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Burundi
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Burundi Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇧🇮 Burundi

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

South Africa $1,203
Burundi $761

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

South Africa $1,893
Burundi $1,366

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

South Africa $2,583
Burundi $1,972

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 South Africa is roughly 58% more expensive than in Burundi on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 177

$3.93 BIF 11.7K

171.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 692

$65.6 BIF 196.0K

-36.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.3

$3.81 BIF 11.4K

52.23%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.16

$3.06 BIF 9,149

-22.88%

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

$1.12 R 18.53

$1.75 BIF 5,228

-36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.97

$1.37 BIF 4,087

-34.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.13

$2.12 BIF 6,350

14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.8

$6.48 BIF 19.4K

-52.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.55

$0.95 BIF 2,835

24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.80

$1.36 BIF 4,051

-16.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.86

$1.49 BIF 4,442

16.78%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.73

$3.65 BIF 10.9K

-29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$8.49 BIF 25.4K

-0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.0

$11.04 BIF 33.0K

-53.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 126

$9.06 BIF 27.1K

-16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.47

$4.53 BIF 13.5K

-60.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.85

$0.62 BIF 1,855

180.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.38

$1.95 BIF 5,816

-9.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.21

$1.13 BIF 3,372

55.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.77

$0.34 BIF 1,023

338.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.34

$0.41 BIF 1,236

258.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.22

$2.05 BIF 6,130

-46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 53.9

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.1

$11.30 BIF 33.8K

-55.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.86

$2.12 BIF 6,341

-29.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.21

$4.03 BIF 12.0K

-51.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.54

$1.01 BIF 3,008

46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 985

$30.60 BIF 91.4K

93.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.18

$4.90 BIF 14.7K

-77.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.44

$3.27 BIF 9,768

-69.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

$29.95 BIF 89.5K

-75.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.72

$1.37 BIF 4,107

4.38%

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

$35.3K R 586.4K

$19.9K BIF 59.4M

77.52%

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

$32.4K R 538.8K

$21.0K BIF 62.7M

54.51%

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

$133 R 2,205

$72.5 BIF 216.7K

83.09%

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

$34.83 R 579

$8.51 BIF 25.4K

309.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 660

$44.75 BIF 133.7K

-11.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 550

$24.05 BIF 71.9K

37.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 193

$71.1 BIF 212.5K

-83.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

$1.70 BIF 5,073

322.35%

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

$224 R 3,722

$98.7 BIF 295.0K

127.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.7K

$10.1K BIF 30.3M

-46.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 900

$32.92 BIF 98.4K

64.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 567

$30.87 BIF 92.3K

10.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,696

$89.2 BIF 266.7K

14.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,470

$42.22 BIF 126.2K

109.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,176

$434 BIF 1.3M

13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,607

$89.7 BIF 268.1K

343.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.7K

$1,317 BIF 3.9M

-28.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.7K

$262 BIF 784.1K

215.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$2,695 BIF 8.1M

-59.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$2,090 BIF 6.2M

-63.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 24.9K

$367 BIF 1.1M

309.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

14.17

-20.75%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burundi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Burundi

$90 11.8% 77.5% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Burundi

$126 16.5% 39.3% $82

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Burundi

$259 * 34% 32.1% $63

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Burundi

$116 15.2% 26.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Burundi

$88 11.5% 30% $38

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Burundi

$56 7.3% 21.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Burundi

$27 3.6% 42.2% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $1,488 in South Africa, $367 in Burundi. 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

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇧🇮 Burundi

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

Same time as South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

13,689,450

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Burundian Franc BIF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

10,000 BIF = 3.35 USD

10,000 BIF = 3.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BIF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Burundian Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,989 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3.35 USD). 1 EUR = 3,327 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3.01 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

South Africa
Burundi

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

South Africa vs Burundi: 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.