Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Burundi

Name: Burundi
Address: BI

For one person, living is cheaper in Burundi: $761 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Burundi
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Burundi Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇧🇮 Burundi

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 the United States and in Burundi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $761 in Burundi.

United States $2,734
Burundi $761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,366 in Burundi.

United States $3,985
Burundi $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $1,972 in Burundi.

United States $5,235
Burundi $1,972

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $30–$643 in Burundi. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 259% more expensive than in Burundi on average.

The United States (101% above) and Burundi (44% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$3.93 BIF 11.7K

409.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$65.6 BIF 196.0K

22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$3.81 BIF 11.4K

209.71%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.06 BIF 9,149

81.37%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.75 BIF 5,228

52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.37 BIF 4,087

58.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.12 BIF 6,350

188.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$6.48 BIF 19.4K

22.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 BIF 2,835

9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.36 BIF 4,051

163.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.49 BIF 4,442

203.36%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.65 BIF 10.9K

17.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$8.49 BIF 25.4K

55.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$11.04 BIF 33.0K

14.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$9.06 BIF 27.1K

94.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.53 BIF 13.5K

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.62 BIF 1,855

172.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.95 BIF 5,816

127.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.13 BIF 3,372

322.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.34 BIF 1,023

773.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.41 BIF 1,236

668.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.05 BIF 6,130

14.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.30 BIF 33.8K

33.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.12 BIF 6,341

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.03 BIF 12.0K

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.01 BIF 3,008

92.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$30.60 BIF 91.4K

94.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.90 BIF 14.7K

-26.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.27 BIF 9,768

-42.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$29.95 BIF 89.5K

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.37 BIF 4,107

-25.55%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$19.9K BIF 59.4M

44.60%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.0K BIF 62.7M

24.84%

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

$218 $218

$72.5 BIF 216.7K

200.63%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$8.51 BIF 25.4K

634.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$44.75 BIF 133.7K

66.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$24.05 BIF 71.9K

74.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$71.1 BIF 212.5K

-67.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$1.70 BIF 5,073

764.71%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$98.7 BIF 295.0K

1408.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$10.1K BIF 30.3M

149.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$32.92 BIF 98.4K

65.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$30.87 BIF 92.3K

38.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$89.2 BIF 266.7K

5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$42.22 BIF 126.2K

168.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$434 BIF 1.3M

282.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$89.7 BIF 268.1K

1402.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,317 BIF 3.9M

103.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$262 BIF 784.1K

726.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$2,695 BIF 8.1M

21.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,090 BIF 6.2M

18.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$367 BIF 1.1M

1070.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

14.17

-53.78%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Burundi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Burundi

$90 11.8% 93.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Burundi

$259 * 34% 37.6% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Burundi

$126 16.5% 64.6% $229

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Burundi

$116 15.2% 64.7% $212

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Burundi

$88 11.5% 35.9% $49

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Burundi

$56 7.3% 30.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Burundi

$27 3.6% 61.5% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $367 in Burundi. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 267% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 15% more in the United States.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 12 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇮 Burundi

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

13,689,450

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Burundian Franc BIF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 BIF = 3.35 USD

10,000 BIF = 3 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BIF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇮 Burundian Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Burundian Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,989 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3.35 USD). 1 EUR = 3,335 BIF (10,000 BIF = 3 EUR).

BIF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Burundi 12,590 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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

United States vs Burundi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $761 per month in Burundi and $2,734 in the United States, Burundi comes out about 72% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Burundi: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $442 in Burundi. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Burundi, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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.