Cost of Living Comparison Between Burkina Faso and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Burkina Faso and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $515 per month in Burkina Faso vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $849 per month in Burkina Faso vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,183 per month in Burkina Faso vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Burkina Faso is roughly 50% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Burkina Faso and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Burkina Faso 61% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 F CFA 3,081

$9.14 R 150

-41.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.15 F CFA 13.8K

$39.14 R 643

-38.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 F CFA 4,583

$5.19 R 85.3

54.14%

Cappuccino

$1.74 F CFA 997

$1.98 R 32.50

-12.12%

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

$0.83 F CFA 476

$1.00 R 16.45

-17.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 F CFA 315

$0.79 R 12.92

-30.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 F CFA 599

$2.21 R 36.36

-52.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 F CFA 1,074

$2.57 R 42.28

-26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 F CFA 1,553

$1.12 R 18.43

141.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 F CFA 518

$0.97 R 15.90

-7.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 F CFA 564

$1.54 R 25.37

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.96 F CFA 1,694

$2.25 R 36.96

31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 F CFA 9,953

$7.86 R 129

120.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.29 F CFA 12.2K

$4.58 R 75.3

364.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 F CFA 7,055

$6.68 R 110

84.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 F CFA 2,565

$1.57 R 25.88

185.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 F CFA 780

$1.47 R 24.18

-7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 F CFA 566

$1.52 R 25.00

-34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 F CFA 1,400

$1.51 R 24.81

61.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 F CFA 1,250

$1.26 R 20.71

73.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 F CFA 751

$1.27 R 20.96

3.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 F CFA 494

$1.09 R 17.86

-21.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 F CFA 778

$0.97 R 15.93

40.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 F CFA 985

$2.84 R 46.62

-39.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 F CFA 3,500

$5.20 R 85.5

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 F CFA 713

$1.38 R 22.74

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 F CFA 1,375

$1.72 R 28.24

39.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 F CFA 110

$1.72 R 28.30

-88.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 727

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 F CFA 290

$1.15 R 18.93

-55.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 F CFA 931

$1.07 R 17.51

51.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 F CFA 881

$1.28 R 21.09

20.31%

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

$38.4K F CFA 22.0M

$20.4K R 334.8K

88.68%

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

$37.6K F CFA 21.5M

$24.0K R 394.3K

56.60%

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

$128 F CFA 73.4K

$113 R 1,856

13.39%

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

$35.52 F CFA 20.3K

$32.35 R 532

9.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 F CFA 29.0K

$41.46 R 682

21.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 F CFA 34.9K

$31.04 R 510

96.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.74 F CFA 5,010

$9.72 R 160

-10.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 F CFA 4,909

$6.67 R 110

28.49%

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

$130 F CFA 74.6K

$186 R 3,051

-29.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K F CFA 9.9M

$4,399 R 72.3K

293.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 824

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 499

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,535

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,322

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 F CFA 253.6K

$439 R 7,210

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 F CFA 158.6K

$372 R 6,112

-25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 F CFA 721.5K

$903 R 14.8K

39.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 F CFA 430.9K

$705 R 11.6K

6.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$859 F CFA 492.2K

$1,116 R 18.3K

-23.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$261 F CFA 149.7K

$793 R 13.0K

-67.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 F CFA 335.7K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-61.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Burkina Faso: July 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $225 in Burkina Faso vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $449 in Ouagadougou and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $607 in Burkina Faso vs $1,513 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 64% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 192% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 149% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

Burkina Faso vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burkina Faso is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 110% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Burkina Faso, contributing to the overall 110% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Burkina Faso, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Burkina Faso is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.