Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
Learn more

South Africa Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil 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 Brazil and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $1,203 in South Africa, rent included.

Brazil $865
South Africa $1,203

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $1,893 in South Africa, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
South Africa $1,893

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $2,583 in South Africa, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
South Africa $2,583

Cost ranges are similar: Brazil spans $569–$1,349, South Africa $618–$1,556. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 28% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Brazil and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 36% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.08

$10.67 R 177

-38.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$164

$41.66 R 693

-26.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$39.89

$5.80 R 96.5

28.45%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.22

$2.36 R 39.23

-19.07%

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

$1.15 R$6.18

$1.12 R 18.56

2.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.04

$0.90 R 15.00

-15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$9.90

$2.42 R 40.20

-23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.28

$3.06 R 50.9

-6.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.52

$1.18 R 19.58

-12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.38

$1.13 R 18.83

38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.61

$1.74 R 28.90

-28.74%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.26

$2.57 R 42.80

-18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$47.45

$8.43 R 140

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.37

$5.12 R 85.1

-22.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$41.51

$7.59 R 126

2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.53

$1.77 R 29.52

21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.80

$1.74 R 28.90

-27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.18

$1.77 R 29.43

-34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$1.76 R 29.26

-13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.21

$1.49 R 24.81

-22.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.46

$1.47 R 24.38

-30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.97

$1.23 R 20.52

-39.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.84

$1.10 R 18.25

-34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.06

$3.24 R 54.0

-30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$40.94

$5.00 R 83.2

53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.97

$1.50 R 24.90

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.58

$1.94 R 32.26

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.03

$1.48 R 24.58

-36.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$235

$59.3 R 986

-25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.58

$1.09 R 18.21

12.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.11

$0.99 R 16.46

-3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$39.70

$7.46 R 124

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.49

$1.43 R 23.76

-15.38%

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

$22.1K R$118.5K

$35.3K R 587.4K

-37.27%

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

$31.6K R$168.9K

$32.4K R 539.7K

-2.69%

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

$77.2 R$413

$133 R 2,208

-41.86%

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

$12.44 R$66.6

$34.83 R 580

-64.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$106

$39.76 R 662

-50.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$130

$33.09 R 551

-26.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$136

$11.65 R 194

118.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.37

$7.18 R 119

-2.79%

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

$316 R$1,690

$224 R 3,728

40.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$44.4K

$5,462 R 90.9K

51.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$264

$54.2 R 902

-8.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$245

$34.13 R 568

33.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$446

$102 R 1,699

-18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$351

$88.5 R 1,472

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$1,996

$492 R 8,189

-24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,341

$398 R 6,617

-37.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,847

$946 R 15.7K

-24.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,624

$827 R 13.8K

-40.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,605

$1,099 R 18.3K

63.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,791

$769 R 12.8K

65.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,657

$1,502 R 25.0K

-66.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

11.23

-0.53%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$251 29%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 58.8% $147

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 7.1% $13

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 30.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 14.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 89.5% $98

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 32.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

South Africa

$47 4% 23.8% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $422 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $450 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $1,488 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 26% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 34% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 42% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 3.2 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

13:34 1:34 PM

5 h ahead of Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brazil South Africa 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
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

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

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 28% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $335 in Brazil.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brazil, adding to the overall 39% price gap.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.