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 $544 per month in Chad vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $720 per month in Chad vs $1,594 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $895 per month in Chad vs $2,168 in South Africa, rent included.

Chad is roughly 47% cheaper than 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.

Chad has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,089) than South Africa ($817–$1,336), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Chad.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 FCFA 5,025

$8.71 R 143

3.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.43 R 647

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 R 84.6

Cappuccino

$0.86 FCFA 477

$2.03 R 33.30

-57.64%

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

$0.89 FCFA 497

$1.03 R 16.93

-13.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 FCFA 502

$0.79 R 12.91

13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 FCFA 759

$2.30 R 37.76

-40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 FCFA 998

$2.55 R 41.84

-29.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.66 FCFA 2,043

$1.11 R 18.27

229.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 FCFA 203

$1.04 R 17.03

-65.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 FCFA 1,999

$1.54 R 25.33

132.47%

Eggs

$2.09 FCFA 1,165

$2.24 R 36.79

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.47 FCFA 1,938

$7.86 R 129

-55.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 FCFA 4,018

$4.73 R 77.7

52.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.62 FCFA 2,022

$6.65 R 109

-45.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 FCFA 2,694

$1.51 R 24.82

219.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 FCFA 1,265

$1.41 R 23.07

60.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 FCFA 1,504

$1.49 R 24.46

80.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 FCFA 1,430

$1.56 R 25.63

64.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 FCFA 941

$1.19 R 19.59

42.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 FCFA 947

$1.30 R 21.26

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 FCFA 302

$1.04 R 17.10

-48.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 FCFA 1,129

$0.96 R 15.78

110.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.02 FCFA 570

$2.92 R 47.96

-65.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 FCFA 4,599

$4.80 R 78.8

71.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 FCFA 778

$1.33 R 21.89

4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 FCFA 968

$1.72 R 28.25

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 FCFA 252

$1.70 R 27.89

-73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 FCFA 48.9K

$45.20 R 741

93.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 FCFA 253

$1.09 R 17.92

-58.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FCFA 233

$1.05 R 17.23

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 FCFA 3,001

$4.73 R 77.6

13.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 FCFA 635

$1.29 R 21.23

-11.63%

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

$12.1K FCFA 6.8M

$21.1K R 345.3K

-42.56%

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

$11.4K FCFA 6.4M

$23.6K R 386.6K

-51.63%

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

$112 R 1,830

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

$26.92 FCFA 15.0K

$31.97 R 524

-15.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$440 FCFA 245.8K

$40.41 R 663

989.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 R 522

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.68 R 159

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 R 109

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

$190 R 3,119

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,317 R 70.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.56 FCFA 14.8K

$48.50 R 795

-45.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 FCFA 19.9K

$30.47 R 500

17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.82 FCFA 24.5K

$94.3 R 1,546

-53.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 FCFA 49.3K

$81.4 R 1,335

8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 FCFA 826.8K

$453 R 7,425

227.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.8 FCFA 48.5K

$371 R 6,084

-76.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 FCFA 150.0K

$881 R 14.5K

-69.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 FCFA 100.4K

$705 R 11.6K

-74.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$197 FCFA 109.8K

$1,147 R 18.8K

-82.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$197 FCFA 109.8K

$818 R 13.4K

-75.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$360 FCFA 200.8K

$1,476 R 24.2K

-75.63%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $744 in Chad vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,487 in N'Djamena and $397 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $363 in Chad vs $1,459 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 102% higher in Chad.

Public transport is 169% more expensive in Chad.

Salaries are 302% 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

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

Chad is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 98% 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 98% 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.