Living in Bujumbura, Burundi

Bujumbura is a mid-sized inland city in Burundi (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 23°C over the year with about 841 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €1,894 a month to live centrally. For citizens from outside the East African Community, long-term residency in Burundi is hard to obtain.

See how Bujumbura ranks for you

12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).

Est. cost: €1,894; a month for a couple
Climate: 23°C; 841 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 42/100; country-level
Residency: Hard to obtain; outside free-movement blocs

Limited data for Burundi. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Burundi are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Burundi, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Bujumbura

More affordable than 99% of the cities we compare
Long-term residency is hard to obtain from outside the East African Community

Healthcare

Burundi scores 40 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 1% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Burundi: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €1,894 a month to live centrally in Bujumbura, 31% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 99% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain, for people from outside the East African Community. Long-term residency runs through a two-year renewable establishment visa tied to an employment contract or a registered local business, with permanent residence only after ten years of continuous residence or significant job-creating investment; there is no passive-income or golden-visa route and buying property does not qualify.

Citizens of the East African Community have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.

For short visits, 6 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 192 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Burundi scores 42 out of 100 on safety, safer than 6% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 2.9 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Burundi: Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025) and life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Climate

Bujumbura averages 23°C across the year with about 841 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 66% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Questions couples ask about Bujumbura

Is Bujumbura a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Bujumbura scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and political stability. Our figures for Burundi are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, moderately wet climate (23°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Bujumbura and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Bujumbura?

We estimate about €1,894 a month for a couple living centrally, 31% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Burundi, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Burundi long term?

Citizens of the East African Community have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: hard to obtain. Long-term residency runs through a two-year renewable establishment visa tied to an employment contract or a registered local business, with permanent residence only after ten years of continuous residence or significant job-creating investment; there is no passive-income or golden-visa route and buying property does not qualify.

What is the weather like in Bujumbura?

Bujumbura averages 23°C across the year with about 841 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 66% of the cities we track.