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

Name: Burundi
Address: BI

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in South Africa versus $335 in Burundi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $607 in Burundi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $878 in Burundi.

Living in South Africa is roughly 241% more expensive than in Burundi on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Burundi 76% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $647 to $1,815, compared to $30.00–$641 in Burundi. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$3.77 BIF 11.3K

199.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$65.8 BIF 196.1K

-32.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$3.70 BIF 11.0K

59.46%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$3.00 BIF 8,946

-18.67%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.80 BIF 5,368

-35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.39 BIF 4,155

-30.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$2.18 BIF 6,502

17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$6.85 BIF 20.4K

-55.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$0.95 BIF 2,846

34.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.36 BIF 4,061

-16.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.46 BIF 4,361

25.34%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$3.71 BIF 11.1K

-31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$8.44 BIF 25.2K

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$11.15 BIF 33.3K

-51.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$8.70 BIF 25.9K

-9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$4.77 BIF 14.2K

-60.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$0.63 BIF 1,874

169.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.04 BIF 6,082

-11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.11 BIF 3,311

69.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$0.32 BIF 947

381.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$0.38 BIF 1,137

292.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$2.05 BIF 6,125

-41.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$11.56 BIF 34.5K

-56.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$2.16 BIF 6,435

-30.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$4.08 BIF 12.2K

-50.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$1.00 BIF 2,983

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$30.43 BIF 90.7K

107.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$4.96 BIF 14.8K

-77.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$3.38 BIF 10.1K

-70.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$29.41 BIF 87.7K

-72.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.32 BIF 3,931

10.61%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$19.6K BIF 58.5M

87.63%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$22.1K BIF 66.0M

46.82%

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

$136 R 2,185

$72.8 BIF 217.2K

86.32%

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

$35.72 R 575

$8.63 BIF 25.7K

313.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$44.32 BIF 132.2K

-6.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$24.48 BIF 73.0K

42.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$72.8 BIF 217.2K

-82.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$1.62 BIF 4,839

370.37%

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

$231 R 3,725

$98.5 BIF 293.8K

134.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$9,900 BIF 29.5M

-42.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$33.25 BIF 99.2K

69.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$31.41 BIF 93.7K

7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$89.6 BIF 267.2K

13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$42.64 BIF 127.2K

118.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$429 BIF 1.3M

18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$90.7 BIF 270.4K

360.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,311 BIF 3.9M

-25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$270 BIF 804.4K

210.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$2,726 BIF 8.1M

-57.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$2,061 BIF 6.1M

-61.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$368 BIF 1.1M

322.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

14.17

-20.68%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Burundi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $362 in Burundi. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 103% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 329% 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

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

At $336 per month in Burundi and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 267% 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.