Living Costs in Burundi

The national currency is the Burundian franc (Burundischer Franc, BIF). Burundi has no central body providing a single standard household-cost amount. The Burundi Institute of Statistics (Institut für Statistik Burundi (INSBU)) publishes price and household data, while the Burundi central bank (Banque de la République du Burundi (BRB)) monitors macroeconomic price and currency developments. Price statistics cover approximately 770 goods and services in twelve consumption groups, as well as urban and rural areas in five provinces. Their weighting is partly based on the household survey ECVMB 2013/2014 and should be supplemented with current monthly bulletins. In December 2025, consumer prices were 15.2 percent above the same month of the previous year; the annual average rose by 34.0 percent. Food has a weight of 526 out of 1000 in the price index but rose by 10.4 percent year-on-year. Non-food prices rose by 22.3 percent. Fuel shortages, currency depreciation, seasonality and regional market conditions can place additional pressure on the available budget. There is no reliable nationwide rental standard. The rental market is local, private and partly informal. In Burunga, a two-room apartment consisting of a room and salon cost approximately 35,000 to 68,568 BIF per month in July 2025. Depending on the contract, deposits, brokerage, maintenance, and water and electricity costs are additional. Bujumbura is much more urbanized and therefore has greater relevance for rental and utility-connection costs than many rural areas. The formal water and electricity provider (REGIDESO) serves the market, but access to the networks is uneven. According to the Poverty Brief, 91 percent of the population had no access to electricity. In Burunga in July 2025, water cost 315 BIF per cubic metre for 0 to 10 cubic metres, 613 BIF for 11 to 20 cubic metres and 802 BIF above 20 cubic metres, depending on consumption; the fixed fee was 3,637 BIF and a water connection cost 140,000 BIF. Electricity cost 82 BIF per kilowatt-hour for 0 to 50 kilowatt-hours, 290 BIF for 51 to 100 kilowatt-hours and 546 BIF from 151 kilowatt-hours upward; an electricity connection cost 274,140 BIF. Where network water or electricity is unavailable, households incur costs for purchased water, charcoal, firewood or kerosene. Supply interruptions belong in a strain scenario. Food comes from own production, subsistence use and markets. As a regional reference, in Bujumbura in June 2025, one kilogram of local rice cost 5,518 BIF, one kilogram of local maize flour 2,261 BIF, beef with bone 27,496 BIF, a chicken 17,862 BIF, one litre of fresh milk 3,000 BIF, one egg 1,216 BIF and one litre of palm oil 9,902 BIF. In December 2025, oil and fats rose by 40.0 percent year-on-year, milk, cheese and eggs by 28.0 percent, bread and cereals by 20.6 percent, and meat by 18.1 percent. Vegetable prices rose by 0.7 percent. These figures are not a fixed nationwide family allowance. For transport, formal bus and road connections exist alongside locally variable services. INSBU references from December 2024 listed intercity fares from Bujumbura of 9,300 BIF to Gitega, 11,600 BIF to Ngozi, 16,300 BIF to Kirundo and 18,600 BIF to Kobero. Transport prices rose by 11.4 percent year-on-year in December 2025. Fuel shortages, availability, waiting times and detours can create additional costs. Daily commuting should therefore be calculated separately from the rest of the monthly budget. Health costs arise at public facilities of the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control (Ministerium für öffentliche Gesundheit und AIDS-Bekämpfung (MSPLS)), private providers, through medicine purchases and transport. In 2022, households bore 30.15 percent of direct health expenditure; total health expenditure amounted to 190.440 billion BIF. Free services for children under five and for pregnancy and childbirth are provided for as a matter of policy, but access and medicine availability depend on location. Before planning a budget, insurance status, diagnostics, medicines and an emergency buffer must be clarified. The fee-free education policy (Gratuité) reduces direct tuition and registration charges (Minerval) in public primary and basic education, but does not eliminate all expenses. Uniforms, exercise books, books, transport, food and contributions may still be required. For the 2025–2026 school year, public boarding schools reportedly did not charge tuition, but did charge for accommodation and meals. Private schools, preschools and higher-education institutions generally set fees individually; there is no current nationwide private-fee catalogue. School-start costs in September should be planned separately. Family budgets often also include care, social obligations and support for relatives. The cash-plus social protection program (Merankabandi) is a nationally scaled program; between 2016 and 2025 it reached more than 1.5 million people, and 97 percent of primary recipients were women. The current transfer amount and payment frequency cannot be inferred from this as a fixed entitlement for every household. Family support and solidarity groups can cushion crises but are not guaranteed income. The telecommunications regulator (ARCT) reported three mobile operators in the second quarter of 2025—ECONET LEO, VIETTEL Burundi and ONATEL—as well as seven internet providers. Mobile penetration was 71.01 percent. SIM cards, data packages and mobile-money fees should be calculated separately because they depend on the provider and package. Current comparisons can be made using the ARCT tariff simulator or service number 151. Communication prices rose by 8.1 percent in December 2025. Leisure costs have no nationwide standard. Local and religious activities, sports, media, restaurants and social celebrations can vary greatly by income, city and occasion. In December 2025, recreation and culture rose by 9.4 percent, while restaurants and hotels rose by 29.4 percent. These expenses should be recorded separately from mandatory costs such as food, housing, utilities, health and education. A monthly budget should include food, rent, water, electricity and fuel, transport, health, education, communication, family or social support, leisure and a buffer. The calculation should account for household size, place of residence, urban or rural setting, rental status, utility connections, children and the chosen health and education arrangements. A basic-needs scenario shows regular costs; an urban, network-dependent or price-shock scenario shows the additional burden. Bills, tariffs and service quality should be checked with providers. CAM and other support programs depend on eligibility requirements, registration, documentation and actual availability. Banks, loans, debts and taxes do not belong in this cost overview; mobile money is included here only as a payment and fee channel.