Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Verde and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Verde and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $530 per month in Cape Verde vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $879 per month in Cape Verde vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,228 per month in Cape Verde vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Cape Verde is roughly 48% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Cape Verde and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Cape Verde 60% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.21 CVE 493

$9.05 R 147

-42.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 CVE 4,827

$39.48 R 642

29.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CVE 809

$4.94 R 80.3

72.87%

Cappuccino

$1.97 CVE 186

$2.06 R 33.47

-4.37%

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

$1.96 CVE 185

$0.95 R 15.40

106.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 CVE 112

$0.81 R 13.13

45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 CVE 307

$2.21 R 35.90

46.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CVE 211

$2.48 R 40.33

-10.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CVE 135

$1.11 R 18.07

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 CVE 165

$1.02 R 16.64

70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 CVE 171

$1.56 R 25.28

15.38%

Eggs

$2.36 CVE 223

$2.34 R 38.05

0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 CVE 1,210

$7.73 R 126

65.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 CVE 808

$4.49 R 73.1

90.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 CVE 1,888

$6.73 R 109

196.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 CVE 258

$1.56 R 25.40

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 CVE 220

$1.43 R 23.22

62.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 CVE 255

$1.44 R 23.48

86.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 CVE 337

$1.51 R 24.55

135.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 CVE 135

$1.22 R 19.81

16.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CVE 166

$1.28 R 20.74

36.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 CVE 132

$1.04 R 16.89

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CVE 101

$0.94 R 15.21

13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 CVE 473

$2.99 R 48.55

66.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 CVE 814

$5.16 R 83.8

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CVE 191

$1.39 R 22.55

44.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CVE 184

$1.66 R 26.93

16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 CVE 86.5

$1.63 R 26.48

-44.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.92 CVE 2,833

$45.05 R 732

-33.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 CVE 172

$1.13 R 18.41

60.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 CVE 201

$1.10 R 17.93

93.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.57 CVE 1,001

$4.86 R 78.9

117.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CVE 142

$1.24 R 20.15

20.97%

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

$29.3K CVE 2.8M

$20.3K R 330.2K

44.20%

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

$40.0K CVE 3.8M

$23.5K R 381.4K

70.43%

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

$137 CVE 12.9K

$113 R 1,843

20.51%

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

$28.36 CVE 2,685

$32.36 R 526

-12.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 CVE 5,137

$41.45 R 674

30.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 CVE 3,252

$31.59 R 513

8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 CVE 816

$9.61 R 156

-10.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.89 CVE 557

$6.83 R 111

-13.76%

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

$167 CVE 15.8K

$187 R 3,039

-10.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,998 CVE 283.9K

$4,362 R 70.9K

-31.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 CVE 5,513

$49.50 R 804

17.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.44 CVE 2,977

$30.42 R 494

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CVE 8,004

$91.7 R 1,489

-7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 CVE 13.0K

$78.9 R 1,281

73.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 CVE 42.4K

$442 R 7,175

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 CVE 23.2K

$367 R 5,963

-33.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CVE 52.5K

$884 R 14.4K

-37.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 CVE 46.7K

$723 R 11.8K

-31.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,004 CVE 95.1K

$1,090 R 17.7K

-7.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$684 CVE 64.8K

$780 R 12.7K

-12.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$281 CVE 26.6K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-81.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.67

11.55

-33.59%

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

Last update for Cape Verde: May 31, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $161 in Cape Verde vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $470 in Praia and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $237 in Cape Verde 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 129% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 541% 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

Cape Verde vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Verde is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 77% 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 Cape Verde, contributing to the overall 77% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cape Verde, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Cape Verde 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.