Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Algeria and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Algeria: $552 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Algeria
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Algeria Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇩🇿 Algeria

$552

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Algeria and in South Africa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $552 in Algeria versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Algeria $552
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $892 in Algeria versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Algeria $892
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,233 in Algeria versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Algeria $1,233
South Africa $2,583

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $400–$625 in Algeria. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in Algeria costs about 54% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Algeria 59% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 DZD 349

$10.67 R 177

-75.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.51 DZD 3,033

$41.66 R 693

-45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.84 DZD 517

$5.80 R 96.5

-33.79%

Cappuccino

$0.79 DZD 107

$2.36 R 39.23

-66.53%

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

$0.58 DZD 78.6

$1.12 R 18.56

-48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 DZD 35.22

$0.90 R 15.00

-71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 DZD 179

$2.42 R 40.19

-45.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 DZD 293

$3.06 R 50.9

-28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 DZD 128

$1.18 R 19.58

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.14 DZD 18.38

$1.13 R 18.83

-87.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 DZD 183

$1.74 R 28.90

-21.84%

Eggs

$1.71 DZD 231

$2.57 R 42.80

-33.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 DZD 1,212

$8.43 R 140

6.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 DZD 619

$5.12 R 85.1

-10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 DZD 2,048

$7.59 R 126

100.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 DZD 402

$1.77 R 29.52

68.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 DZD 408

$1.74 R 28.90

73.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 DZD 218

$1.77 R 29.43

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 DZD 106

$1.76 R 29.26

-55.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 DZD 80.0

$1.49 R 24.81

-60.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 DZD 67.3

$1.47 R 24.38

-65.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 DZD 92.6

$1.23 R 20.52

-43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 DZD 43.41

$1.10 R 18.25

-70.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 DZD 366

$3.24 R 54.0

-16.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 DZD 1,120

$5.00 R 83.2

66.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 DZD 200

$1.50 R 24.90

-0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 DZD 250

$1.94 R 32.26

-4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 DZD 22.88

$1.48 R 24.58

-88.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.32 DZD 986

$59.3 R 986

-87.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 DZD 152

$1.09 R 18.21

3.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 DZD 58.0

$0.99 R 16.46

-56.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 DZD 631

$7.46 R 124

-37.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 DZD 47.90

$1.43 R 23.76

-74.83%

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

$31.7K DZD 4.3M

$35.3K R 587.3K

-10.23%

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

$34.4K DZD 4.6M

$32.4K R 539.6K

6.02%

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

$34.94 DZD 4,709

$133 R 2,208

-73.68%

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

$9.50 DZD 1,280

$34.83 R 579

-72.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 DZD 2,502

$39.76 R 662

-53.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.03 DZD 2,564

$33.09 R 550

-42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.85 DZD 1,193

$11.65 R 194

-24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 DZD 606

$7.18 R 119

-37.33%

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

$82.1 DZD 11.1K

$224 R 3,728

-63.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,020 DZD 407.0K

$5,462 R 90.9K

-44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.76 DZD 4,550

$54.2 R 902

-37.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.19 DZD 5,551

$34.13 R 568

20.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 DZD 9,019

$102 R 1,699

-34.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 DZD 9,537

$88.5 R 1,472

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$139 DZD 18.7K

$492 R 8,189

-71.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.3 DZD 13.2K

$398 R 6,617

-75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 DZD 34.8K

$946 R 15.7K

-72.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 DZD 22.6K

$827 R 13.8K

-79.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,058 DZD 142.6K

$1,099 R 18.3K

-3.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$725 DZD 97.7K

$769 R 12.8K

-5.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$292 DZD 39.3K

$1,502 R 25.0K

-80.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.03

11.23

-46.30%

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

Last update for Algeria: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Algeria

$199 36.1%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 1.6% $3.3

Accommodation & Living

Algeria

$98 17.8%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 305% $300

Clothing & Footwear

Algeria

$96 17.4%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 31.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Algeria

$63 11.4%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 229% $144

Eating Out

Algeria

$56 10.2%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 180% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Algeria

$28 5.1%

South Africa

$47 4% 69.2% $19

Getting Around

Algeria

$11 2%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 532% $60

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $141 in Algeria, $422 in South Africa. Capital cities: $163 in Algiers vs $450 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $293 in Algeria, $1,488 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 199% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 86% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 771% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 5.1 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Algeria

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

14:47 2:47 PM

1 h ahead of Algeria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,164,219

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.42 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.65 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar (د.ج)

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.42 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.65 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.57 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Algeria South Africa 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Algeria
South Africa

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

Algeria vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $552 per month in Algeria and $1,203 in South Africa, Algeria comes out about 54% 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 Algeria: 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 $422 in South Africa and $141 in Algeria. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Algeria, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa 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: Algeria wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.