Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Comoros and South Africa

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,214 a month against $1,401 in the Comoros, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇰🇲 Comoros
$1,401
/mo nomad
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,214
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Comoros and in South Africa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Comoros and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,401 per month in the Comoros vs $1,214 in South Africa, rent included.

  • Comoros $1,401
  • South Africa $1,214

A couple spends around $2,092 per month in the Comoros vs $1,908 in South Africa, rent included.

  • Comoros $2,092
  • South Africa $1,908

A family of three spends $2,782 per month in the Comoros vs $2,602 in South Africa, rent included.

  • Comoros $2,782
  • South Africa $2,602

The regional cost range is wider in the Comoros ($1,409–$1,409) than in South Africa ($627–$1,599), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Comoros is about 15% higher than in South Africa on average.

The Comoros sits 3% above the global median, while South Africa is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.10 KMF 2,667
$11.17 R 184
-45.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.42 KMF 8,060
$42.79 R 705
-56.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.75 KMF 3,390
$5.75 R 94.8
34.78%
Cappuccino
$1.71 KMF 749
$2.35 R 38.68
-27.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 KMF 444
$1.14 R 18.73
-11.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 KMF 270
$0.86 R 14.23
-27.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 KMF 462
$2.38 R 39.19
-55.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 KMF 795
$3.07 R 50.6
-40.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.23 KMF 1,849
$1.22 R 20.13
246.72%
White Bread (500g)
$0.56 KMF 244
$1.10 R 18.10
-49.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 KMF 729
$1.74 R 28.66
-4.02%
Eggs
$5.09 KMF 2,226
$2.61 R 42.98
95.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.73 KMF 3,384
$8.46 R 139
-8.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$5.17 R 85.1
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.48 KMF 5,460
$7.81 R 129
59.80%
Apples (1kg)
$5.01 KMF 2,190
$1.79 R 29.52
179.89%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.75 R 28.87
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.73 R 28.50
-
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 KMF 1,834
$1.79 R 29.47
134.08%
Potato (1kg)
$4.48 KMF 1,961
$1.44 R 23.75
211.11%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 KMF 1,340
$1.52 R 24.97
101.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.19 KMF 957
$1.25 R 20.59
75.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 KMF 563
$1.10 R 18.18
17.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$3.43 R 56.5
-
Wine (Bottle)
$16.65 KMF 7,287
$4.90 R 80.7
239.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 KMF 432
$1.53 R 25.21
-35.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.90 KMF 3,020
$2.00 R 32.96
245.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 KMF 261
$1.57 R 25.85
-61.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.23 KMF 14.1K
$59.7 R 983
-46.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 KMF 308
$1.07 R 17.58
-34.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 KMF 453
$1.04 R 17.17
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.52 KMF 5,039
$7.74 R 128
48.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.94 KMF 1,286
$1.50 R 24.75
96.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K KMF 8.4M
$36.4K R 600.2K
-47.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K KMF 7.7M
$33.1K R 545.0K
-47.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 KMF 48.7K
$132 R 2,172
-15.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.69 KMF 14.7K
$35.19 R 580
-4.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.8 KMF 32.7K
$39.82 R 656
87.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$33.82 R 557
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.29 KMF 5,815
$11.61 R 191
14.47%
Cinema Ticket
$6.58 KMF 2,881
$7.15 R 118
-7.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$402 KMF 176.1K
$227 R 3,740
77.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K KMF 6.2M
$5,604 R 92.3K
154.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.4 KMF 26.0K
$53.1 R 874
11.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.5 KMF 26.9K
$34.46 R 568
78.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 KMF 48.9K
$102 R 1,680
9.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1 KMF 36.8K
$90.0 R 1,482
-6.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$718 KMF 314.1K
$488 R 8,036
47.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$600 KMF 262.5K
$403 R 6,634
49.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,423 KMF 622.6K
$960 R 15.8K
48.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 KMF 500.2K
$824 R 13.6K
38.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,600 KMF 699.9K
$1,115 R 18.4K
43.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,347 KMF 589.2K
$803 R 13.2K
67.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Comoros
South Africa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$665 KMF 291.0K
$1,482 R 24.4K
-55.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
11.23
-66.16%

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

Last update for the Comoros: October 19, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Comoros
$600
South Africa
$403 32.9% $197
Groceries & Markets
Comoros
$277 *
South Africa
$198 28.7% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Comoros
$220
South Africa
$207 5.9% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Comoros
$143
South Africa
$126 11.7% $17
Eating Out
Comoros
$108
South Africa
$161 49% $53
Getting Around
Comoros
$40
South Africa
$72 78.4% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Comoros
$13 *
South Africa
$48 265% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $730 in the Comoros vs $429 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $730 in Moroni and $455 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $653 in the Comoros vs $1,501 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in the Comoros.

Dining out costs 117% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 94% more expensive in the Comoros.

Salaries are 130% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know
🇰🇲 Comoros
🇿🇦 South Africa
🕒 Local time
02:57 2:57 AM
01:57 1:57 AM
1 h behind the Comoros
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
902,348
62,027,503
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to KMF – Comorian Franc Converter

Comorian Franc exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 438 KMF (1,000 KMF = 2.29 USD). 1 EUR = 492 KMF (1,000 KMF = 2.03 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Comoros South Africa 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Comoros
  • South Africa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Comoros vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do the Comoros and South Africa compare in cost of living?
South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 15% lower on average.
How do rents compare between the Comoros and South Africa?
Housing costs more in the Comoros: a central one-bedroom averages $730 versus $429 in South Africa.
How far does $1,500 go in the Comoros compared to South Africa?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in the Comoros it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in the Comoros and in South Africa?
South Africa 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.

Comoros vs other spots: cost of living compared

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