Cost of Living Comparison Between Chad and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Chad and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $528 per month in Chad vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $726 per month in Chad vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $923 per month in Chad vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Chad is roughly 48% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 FCFA 4,999

$9.14 R 151

-4.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 646

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.6

Cappuccino

$0.91 FCFA 520

$1.98 R 32.63

-54.04%

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

$0.84 FCFA 484

$1.00 R 16.52

-16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 FCFA 486

$0.79 R 12.97

7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 FCFA 774

$2.21 R 36.50

-38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 FCFA 989

$2.57 R 42.45

-33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.74 FCFA 2,149

$1.12 R 18.50

233.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 FCFA 193

$0.97 R 15.96

-64.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 FCFA 2,047

$1.54 R 25.47

131.82%

Eggs

$2.08 FCFA 1,192

$2.25 R 37.10

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.63 FCFA 2,085

$7.86 R 130

-53.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 FCFA 4,095

$4.58 R 75.6

55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.61 FCFA 2,075

$6.68 R 110

-45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 FCFA 2,776

$1.57 R 25.98

208.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 FCFA 1,297

$1.47 R 24.27

53.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 FCFA 1,543

$1.52 R 25.10

76.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 FCFA 1,467

$1.51 R 24.91

69.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 FCFA 933

$1.26 R 20.79

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 FCFA 956

$1.27 R 21.04

31.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 FCFA 317

$1.09 R 17.93

-49.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 FCFA 1,206

$0.97 R 16.00

116.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.02 FCFA 586

$2.84 R 46.81

-64.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 FCFA 4,600

$5.20 R 85.9

54.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 FCFA 815

$1.38 R 22.84

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 FCFA 1,016

$1.72 R 28.36

2.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 FCFA 241

$1.72 R 28.42

-75.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 FCFA 49.8K

$44.22 R 730

96.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 FCFA 262

$1.15 R 19.01

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FCFA 240

$1.07 R 17.59

-60.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 FCFA 3,120

$4.74 R 78.2

14.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 FCFA 631

$1.28 R 21.18

-14.06%

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

$12.2K FCFA 7.0M

$20.4K R 336.1K

-40.18%

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

$11.1K FCFA 6.4M

$24.0K R 395.8K

-53.81%

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

$113 R 1,864

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

$26.32 FCFA 15.1K

$32.35 R 534

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$444 FCFA 255.1K

$41.46 R 684

971.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 512

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 3,063

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.82 FCFA 15.4K

$50.2 R 828

-46.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.85 FCFA 20.6K

$30.37 R 501

18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 FCFA 25.8K

$93.4 R 1,541

-51.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 FCFA 50.7K

$80.4 R 1,327

9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 FCFA 855.4K

$439 R 7,239

239.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.8 FCFA 50.4K

$372 R 6,136

-76.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 FCFA 152.4K

$903 R 14.9K

-70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 FCFA 101.8K

$705 R 11.6K

-74.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$188 FCFA 108.1K

$1,116 R 18.4K

-83.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$183 FCFA 105.1K

$793 R 13.1K

-76.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 FCFA 202.7K

$1,506 R 24.9K

-76.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.55

-69.70%

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

Last update for Chad: July 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $740 in Chad vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,479 in N'Djamena and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $343 in Chad 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 101% higher in Chad.

Public transport is 169% more expensive in Chad.

Salaries are 341% 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

Chad vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chad is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 105% 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 Chad, contributing to the overall 105% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Chad, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Chad 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.