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 $835 per month in Burkina Faso vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,154 per month in Burkina Faso vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Burkina Faso is roughly 50% cheaper than 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 62% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 F CFA 2,907

$9.05 R 147

-42.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.46 F CFA 13.2K

$39.48 R 642

-40.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 F CFA 4,559

$4.94 R 80.3

63.56%

Cappuccino

$1.74 F CFA 979

$2.06 R 33.47

-15.53%

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

$0.80 F CFA 449

$0.95 R 15.40

-15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 F CFA 307

$0.81 R 13.13

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 F CFA 604

$2.21 R 35.90

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 F CFA 1,024

$2.48 R 40.33

-26.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 F CFA 1,562

$1.11 R 18.07

149.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 F CFA 517

$1.02 R 16.64

-9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 F CFA 573

$1.56 R 25.28

-34.62%

Eggs

$3.07 F CFA 1,729

$2.34 R 38.05

31.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.50 F CFA 9,868

$7.73 R 126

126.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.91 F CFA 11.8K

$4.49 R 73.1

365.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 F CFA 7,126

$6.73 R 109

87.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 F CFA 2,462

$1.56 R 25.40

180.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 F CFA 789

$1.43 R 23.22

-2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 F CFA 550

$1.44 R 23.48

-31.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 F CFA 1,352

$1.51 R 24.55

58.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

$1.22 R 19.81

86.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 F CFA 730

$1.28 R 20.74

0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 F CFA 481

$1.04 R 16.89

-18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 F CFA 761

$0.94 R 15.21

43.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 F CFA 970

$2.99 R 48.55

-42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 F CFA 3,431

$5.16 R 83.8

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 F CFA 727

$1.39 R 22.55

-7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 F CFA 1,353

$1.66 R 26.93

44.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 F CFA 102

$1.63 R 26.48

-88.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 F CFA 288

$1.13 R 18.41

-54.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 F CFA 869

$1.10 R 17.93

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 F CFA 835

$1.24 R 20.15

19.35%

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

$37.2K F CFA 21.0M

$20.3K R 330.2K

83.07%

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

$36.4K F CFA 20.5M

$23.5K R 381.4K

55.14%

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

$124 F CFA 69.8K

$113 R 1,843

9.19%

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

$35.62 F CFA 20.1K

$32.36 R 526

10.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 F CFA 28.6K

$41.45 R 674

22.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 F CFA 34.7K

$31.59 R 513

94.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.66 F CFA 4,886

$9.61 R 156

-9.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 F CFA 5,019

$6.83 R 111

30.31%

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

$135 F CFA 76.1K

$187 R 3,039

-27.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K F CFA 10.0M

$4,362 R 70.9K

306.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 F CFA 250.8K

$442 R 7,175

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 F CFA 158.4K

$367 R 5,963

-23.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 F CFA 726.4K

$884 R 14.4K

45.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 F CFA 438.9K

$723 R 11.8K

7.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 F CFA 500.8K

$1,090 R 17.7K

-18.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$271 F CFA 152.7K

$780 R 12.7K

-65.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 F CFA 336.2K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-61.73%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $217 in Burkina Faso vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $433 in Ouagadougou and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $622 in Burkina Faso vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 192% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 144% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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.