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 $262 in Burundi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $484 in Burundi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $705 in Burundi.

Living in South Africa is roughly 289% more expensive than Burundi on average.

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

South Africa ($819–$1,339) and Burundi ($30.00–$494) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 148

$1.83 BIF 5,426

394.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 645

$34.13 BIF 101.3K

15.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.7

$3.92 BIF 11.6K

26.02%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.66

$3.49 BIF 10.4K

-40.97%

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

$0.95 R 15.49

$1.67 BIF 4,946

-43.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.21

$1.08 BIF 3,201

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.12

$2.22 BIF 6,603

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.57

$5.69 BIF 16.9K

-56.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.18

$0.97 BIF 2,880

14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.74

$1.11 BIF 3,292

-8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.43

$1.61 BIF 4,792

-3.11%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.28

$3.48 BIF 10.3K

-32.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$10.10 BIF 30.0K

-23.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.5

$9.83 BIF 29.2K

-54.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 110

$10.23 BIF 30.4K

-34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.55

$5.94 BIF 17.6K

-73.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.36

$0.57 BIF 1,685

150.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.62

$1.77 BIF 5,264

-18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.69

$1.08 BIF 3,208

39.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.93

$0.41 BIF 1,204

197.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.86

$0.51 BIF 1,520

150.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.99

$0.50 BIF 1,491

108.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.30

$1.68 BIF 4,991

-44.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.84

$2.50 BIF 7,423

19.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 84.3

$11.55 BIF 34.3K

-55.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.69

$2.04 BIF 6,051

-31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.09

$3.17 BIF 9,419

-47.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.64

$1.05 BIF 3,106

55.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 736

$30.15 BIF 89.5K

49.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.51

$6.64 BIF 19.7K

-82.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.03

$3.56 BIF 10.6K

-69.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 79.4

$30.57 BIF 90.7K

-84.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.26

$1.32 BIF 3,904

-6.06%

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

$20.3K R 332.1K

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

$23.5K R 383.6K

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

$113 R 1,854

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

$32.36 R 529

$6.24 BIF 18.5K

418.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 678

$19.87 BIF 59.0K

108.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 516

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 157

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 112

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

$187 R 3,057

$107 BIF 316.2K

75.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 71.3K

$10.4K BIF 31.0M

-58.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 497

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,498

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,289

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,218

$285 BIF 844.7K

55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,998

$72.8 BIF 216.1K

404.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$490 BIF 1.5M

80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$292 BIF 867.4K

147.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.8K

$2,708 BIF 8.0M

-59.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$2,123 BIF 6.3M

-63.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.5K

$366 BIF 1.1M

325.25%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Burundi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $364 in Burundi. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 154% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 106% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 318% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 $262 per month in Burundi and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 312% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Burundi is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.