Cost of Living Comparison Between Central African Republic and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Central African Republic and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $436 in Central African Republic versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $701 in Central African Republic versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $965 in Central African Republic versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Central African Republic costs about 57% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Central African Republic 67% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Central African Republic: monthly costs span $436 to $436, compared to $803–$1,362 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Central African Republic.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 150

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 643

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.3

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.50

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

$1.00 R 16.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 FCFA 1,024

$0.79 R 12.92

126.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 FCFA 1,978

$2.21 R 36.36

56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 FCFA 3,105

$2.57 R 42.28

110.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$5.42 FCFA 3,104

$1.12 R 18.43

383.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 FCFA 2,583

$0.97 R 15.90

364.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 FCFA 2,463

$1.54 R 25.37

179.22%

Eggs

$5.25 FCFA 3,009

$2.25 R 36.96

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 FCFA 5,168

$7.86 R 129

14.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 FCFA 5,162

$4.58 R 75.3

96.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.49 FCFA 1,999

$6.68 R 110

-47.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.88

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

Oranges (1kg)

$7.24 FCFA 4,150

$1.52 R 25.00

376.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 FCFA 3,037

$1.51 R 24.81

250.99%

Potato (1kg)

$4.44 FCFA 2,546

$1.26 R 20.71

252.38%

Onion (1kg)

$6.09 FCFA 3,488

$1.27 R 20.96

379.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 FCFA 1,509

$1.09 R 17.86

141.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 FCFA 1,490

$0.97 R 15.93

168.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 FCFA 2,537

$2.84 R 46.62

55.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 FCFA 6,588

$5.20 R 85.5

121.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.33 FCFA 3,627

$1.38 R 22.74

358.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 FCFA 2,536

$1.72 R 28.24

157.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 FCFA 44.9K

$44.22 R 727

77.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 FCFA 1,643

$1.07 R 17.51

168.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.38 FCFA 8,241

$4.74 R 77.8

203.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.68 FCFA 1,537

$1.28 R 21.09

109.38%

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

$20.4K R 334.8K

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

$13.6K FCFA 7.8M

$24.0K R 394.3K

-43.23%

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

$113 R 1,856

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

$32.35 R 532

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 682

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 510

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

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

$186 R 3,051

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 FCFA 34.4K

$50.2 R 824

19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.2 FCFA 52.3K

$30.37 R 499

200.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.68 FCFA 23.9K

$93.4 R 1,535

-55.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 FCFA 45.8K

$80.4 R 1,322

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 FCFA 749.4K

$439 R 7,210

198.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,112

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,361 FCFA 779.7K

$1,116 R 18.3K

21.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,665 FCFA 953.7K

$793 R 13.0K

109.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$835 FCFA 478.2K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-44.57%

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 Central African Republic: July 11, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,332 in Central African Republic, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $1,332 in Bangui vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 262% higher in Central African Republic.

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

Central African Republic vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $436 per month in Central African Republic and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 148% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Central African Republic: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Central African Republic across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Central African Republic, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Central African Republic wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.