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: $1,020 in South Africa versus $264 in Burundi.

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

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

Living in South Africa is roughly 286% more expensive than in Burundi on average.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$1.82 BIF 5,415

402.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$33.29 BIF 99.0K

17.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$3.75 BIF 11.2K

38.40%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$3.50 BIF 10.4K

-43.43%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.65 BIF 4,917

-39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$1.14 BIF 3,396

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$2.21 BIF 6,578

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$5.73 BIF 17.0K

-55.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$0.92 BIF 2,742

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.17 BIF 3,479

-17.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.64 BIF 4,867

-6.10%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$3.31 BIF 9,831

-32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$10.45 BIF 31.1K

-24.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$9.76 BIF 29.0K

-53.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$10.24 BIF 30.4K

-34.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$5.95 BIF 17.7K

-73.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$0.52 BIF 1,555

182.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$1.75 BIF 5,211

-13.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.12 BIF 3,317

34.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.40 BIF 1,190

215.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$0.49 BIF 1,455

159.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.50 BIF 1,495

118.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.69 BIF 5,017

-42.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$2.40 BIF 7,124

18.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$11.43 BIF 34.0K

-54.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.05 BIF 6,110

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$3.15 BIF 9,358

-45.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$1.00 BIF 2,962

72.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$29.98 BIF 89.2K

47.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$6.65 BIF 19.8K

-82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$3.49 BIF 10.4K

-69.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$29.56 BIF 87.9K

-83.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.32 BIF 3,921

-3.03%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

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

$113 R 1,869

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

$32.35 R 536

$6.31 BIF 18.8K

412.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$20.22 BIF 60.1K

105.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

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

$186 R 3,072

$105 BIF 312.1K

76.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$10.8K BIF 32.0M

-59.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$289 BIF 859.5K

51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$72.5 BIF 215.7K

412.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$476 BIF 1.4M

89.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$293 BIF 872.4K

140.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$2,706 BIF 8.0M

-58.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$2,061 BIF 6.1M

-61.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$375 BIF 1.1M

301.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

14.17

-18.49%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Burundi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $363 in Burundi. 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

South Africa vs Burundi: 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.