Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abidjan and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Abidjan: $1,222 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Abidjan
Learn more

Abidjan Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Abidjan

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast

$1,222

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abidjan and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abidjan and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Abidjan versus $1,568 in Cape Town.

Abidjan $1,222
Cape Town $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Abidjan versus $2,438 in Cape Town.

Abidjan $2,090
Cape Town $2,438

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,957 in Abidjan versus $3,307 in Cape Town.

Abidjan $2,957
Cape Town $3,307

Living in Abidjan costs roughly 22% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abidjan is 9% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 F CFA 1,512

$11.78 R 195

-78.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 F CFA 39.6K

$46.55 R 772

45.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 F CFA 6,113

$5.96 R 98.9

75.50%

Cappuccino

$1.85 F CFA 1,079

$2.47 R 41.01

-25.10%

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

$0.72 F CFA 419

$1.33 R 22.03

-45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 F CFA 446

$1.03 R 17.08

-26.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 F CFA 610

$3.01 R 49.98

-65.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 F CFA 970

$3.66 R 60.8

-54.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 F CFA 1,229

$1.39 R 23.08

51.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 F CFA 289

$1.19 R 19.70

-58.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 F CFA 666

$2.11 R 35.02

-45.97%

Eggs

$2.29 F CFA 1,339

$3.01 R 49.84

-23.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.21 F CFA 14.7K

$8.96 R 149

181.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 F CFA 3,348

$6.65 R 110

-13.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.00 F CFA 3,508

$9.29 R 154

-35.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 F CFA 2,285

$1.83 R 30.28

113.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 F CFA 607

$1.90 R 31.47

-45.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 F CFA 1,221

$1.75 R 28.98

19.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 F CFA 1,396

$2.09 R 34.59

14.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 F CFA 1,031

$1.55 R 25.78

13.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 F CFA 932

$1.49 R 24.65

6.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 F CFA 345

$1.30 R 21.53

-54.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 502

$1.16 R 19.29

-25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 F CFA 1,021

$3.71 R 61.5

-52.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 F CFA 3,049

$6.06 R 101

-13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 F CFA 618

$1.39 R 22.97

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 F CFA 678

$2.20 R 36.51

-47.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 F CFA 535

$1.51 R 25.11

-39.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.81 F CFA 25.0K

$61.0 R 1,011

-29.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 F CFA 976

$0.63 R 10.38

165.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 F CFA 1,007

$1.53 R 25.42

12.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.89 F CFA 15.1K

$4.81 R 79.8

438.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 F CFA 883

$1.58 R 26.22

-4.43%

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

$28.1K F CFA 16.4M

$35.5K R 588.7K

-20.73%

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

$27.0K F CFA 15.8M

$31.7K R 526.6K

-14.84%

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

$163 F CFA 95.4K

$116 R 1,930

40.20%

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

$24.63 F CFA 14.4K

$28.37 R 471

-13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.38 F CFA 20.7K

$40.69 R 675

-13.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 F CFA 40.9K

$48.85 R 810

43.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 F CFA 12.4K

$11.13 R 185

91.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 F CFA 5,058

$8.83 R 146

-2.04%

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

$367 F CFA 214.6K

$261 R 4,336

40.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,608 F CFA 2.7M

$6,702 R 111.2K

-31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 F CFA 53.2K

$55.4 R 919

64.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.71 F CFA 21.5K

$32.27 R 535

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 F CFA 44.5K

$118 R 1,949

-35.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 F CFA 80.2K

$107 R 1,775

28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 F CFA 396.9K

$1,015 R 16.8K

-33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 F CFA 200.1K

$715 R 11.9K

-52.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,604 F CFA 1.5M

$1,801 R 29.9K

44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 F CFA 590.4K

$1,330 R 22.1K

-24.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,189 F CFA 1.3M

$2,331 R 38.7K

-6.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$675 F CFA 394.8K

$1,513 R 25.1K

-55.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 F CFA 126.0K

$1,636 R 27.1K

-86.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

10.97

43.57%

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

Last update for Abidjan: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abidjan

$342 28.6%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 109% $373

Groceries & Markets

Abidjan

$247 20.6%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 10% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abidjan

$223 18.6%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 16.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Abidjan

$154 12.8%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 8.5% $13

Eating Out

Abidjan

$89 7.4%

Cape Town

$174 11% 95.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Abidjan

$87 7.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 23.8% $21

Getting Around

Abidjan

$57 4.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 32.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $679 in Abidjan and $1,015 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 659% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Abidjan vs $47.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $222 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇮 Abidjan

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

2 h ahead of Abidjan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,567,409

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Abidjan Cape Town 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Abidjan
Cape Town

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

Abidjan vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abidjan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 659% lower in Cape Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $679 in Abidjan versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abidjan – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $47.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,222 per month in Abidjan versus $1,568 in Cape Town – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Abidjan versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Abidjan but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Abidjan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Abidjan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Abidjan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.