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 $527 per month in Cape Verde vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $879 per month in Cape Verde vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,230 per month in Cape Verde vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Cape Verde is roughly 48% lower than in 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 61% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 CVE 492

$9.14 R 151

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CVE 4,986

$39.14 R 648

32.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 CVE 784

$5.19 R 85.9

56.65%

Cappuccino

$1.96 CVE 189

$1.98 R 32.73

-1.01%

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

$1.96 CVE 189

$1.00 R 16.57

96.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CVE 113

$0.79 R 13.01

48.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 CVE 324

$2.21 R 36.61

52.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CVE 207

$2.57 R 42.58

-16.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 CVE 132

$1.12 R 18.56

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 CVE 177

$0.97 R 16.01

88.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 CVE 174

$1.54 R 25.55

16.88%

Eggs

$2.31 CVE 222

$2.25 R 37.22

2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 CVE 1,263

$7.86 R 130

66.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 CVE 785

$4.58 R 75.8

77.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.28 CVE 1,956

$6.68 R 111

203.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 CVE 258

$1.57 R 26.06

70.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 CVE 225

$1.47 R 24.35

58.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 CVE 272

$1.52 R 25.18

85.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 CVE 337

$1.51 R 24.98

131.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CVE 143

$1.26 R 20.85

18.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 CVE 164

$1.27 R 21.11

33.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 CVE 136

$1.09 R 17.99

29.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CVE 102

$0.97 R 16.04

9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 CVE 481

$2.84 R 46.95

75.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 CVE 812

$5.20 R 86.1

61.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CVE 195

$1.38 R 22.91

46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CVE 179

$1.72 R 28.44

7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 CVE 87.1

$1.72 R 28.50

-47.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.47 CVE 2,939

$44.22 R 732

-31.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 CVE 175

$1.15 R 19.06

57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 CVE 205

$1.07 R 17.64

98.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 CVE 1,026

$4.74 R 78.4

124.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 CVE 147

$1.28 R 21.24

18.75%

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

$29.4K CVE 2.8M

$20.4K R 337.1K

44.33%

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

$39.2K CVE 3.8M

$24.0K R 397.0K

63.47%

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

$136 CVE 13.1K

$113 R 1,869

20.15%

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

$28.27 CVE 2,727

$32.35 R 536

-12.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 CVE 5,151

$41.46 R 686

28.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.59 CVE 3,336

$31.04 R 514

11.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 CVE 837

$9.72 R 161

-10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 CVE 565

$6.67 R 110

-12.14%

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

$162 CVE 15.6K

$186 R 3,072

-12.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,997 CVE 289.0K

$4,399 R 72.8K

-31.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 CVE 5,750

$50.2 R 830

18.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.79 CVE 2,969

$30.37 R 503

1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 CVE 8,010

$93.4 R 1,546

-11.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 CVE 13.5K

$80.4 R 1,332

73.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 CVE 43.9K

$439 R 7,261

3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 CVE 24.1K

$372 R 6,155

-32.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 CVE 54.7K

$903 R 14.9K

-37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 CVE 46.5K

$705 R 11.7K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 CVE 109.4K

$1,116 R 18.5K

1.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$798 CVE 77.0K

$793 R 13.1K

0.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 CVE 31.8K

$1,506 R 24.9K

-78.09%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $161 in Cape Verde vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $474 in Praia and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $286 in Cape Verde 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 129% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 429% 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

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

Cape Verde is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 78% 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 78% 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.