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 $501 per month in Cape Verde vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $824 per month in Cape Verde vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,147 per month in Cape Verde vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Cape Verde is roughly 56% 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 64% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 CVE 561

$11.30 R 182

-47.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 CVE 5,222

$44.51 R 717

23.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 CVE 788

$5.90 R 95.0

40.51%

Cappuccino

$2.52 CVE 239

$2.44 R 39.22

3.28%

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

$2.17 CVE 206

$1.16 R 18.64

87.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CVE 117

$0.96 R 15.39

28.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 CVE 302

$2.56 R 41.29

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 CVE 198

$3.08 R 49.60

-32.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 CVE 145

$1.28 R 20.57

19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 CVE 168

$1.13 R 18.15

56.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 CVE 190

$1.83 R 29.55

9.29%

Eggs

$2.43 CVE 230

$2.55 R 41.12

-4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 CVE 1,317

$8.35 R 134

66.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 CVE 810

$5.44 R 87.6

56.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 CVE 1,841

$7.88 R 127

146.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 CVE 304

$1.90 R 30.61

68.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 CVE 251

$1.70 R 27.36

55.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 CVE 294

$1.81 R 29.14

71.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CVE 385

$1.88 R 30.23

115.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 CVE 146

$1.54 R 24.76

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CVE 170

$1.49 R 24.03

20.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 CVE 127

$1.33 R 21.45

0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CVE 118

$1.19 R 19.09

4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 CVE 505

$3.41 R 55.0

55.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 CVE 789

$5.08 R 81.7

63.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CVE 194

$1.51 R 24.28

35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CVE 187

$2.03 R 32.64

-2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 CVE 65.8

$1.76 R 28.39

-60.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.27 CVE 3,065

$63.1 R 1,016

-48.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 CVE 206

$1.12 R 17.97

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 CVE 254

$1.01 R 16.33

164.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 CVE 1,512

$8.07 R 130

97.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 CVE 147

$1.46 R 23.53

6.16%

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

$30.1K CVE 2.9M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-18.13%

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

$39.5K CVE 3.8M

$32.5K R 523.6K

21.51%

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

$151 CVE 14.4K

$136 R 2,185

11.62%

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

$17.24 CVE 1,637

$35.72 R 575

-51.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CVE 5,315

$41.40 R 667

35.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.67 CVE 2,912

$34.96 R 563

-12.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.10 CVE 770

$12.46 R 201

-34.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 CVE 560

$7.62 R 123

-22.57%

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

$148 CVE 14.0K

$231 R 3,725

-36.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,232 CVE 306.9K

$5,726 R 92.2K

-43.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 CVE 5,033

$56.4 R 908

-5.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.06 CVE 2,475

$33.91 R 546

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 CVE 6,638

$102 R 1,639

-31.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 CVE 13.4K

$93.0 R 1,497

51.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 CVE 42.1K

$506 R 8,154

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 CVE 24.4K

$418 R 6,727

-38.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 CVE 57.6K

$979 R 15.8K

-37.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 CVE 33.0K

$838 R 13.5K

-58.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,162 CVE 110.3K

$1,151 R 18.5K

0.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 CVE 75.4K

$800 R 12.9K

-0.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 CVE 32.5K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-77.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.33

11.24

-34.79%

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

Last update for Cape Verde: September 8, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $171 in Cape Verde vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $595 in Praia and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $289 in Cape Verde vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 160% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 43% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 42% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 437% 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 101% 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 101% 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.