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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,008 per month in Djibouti vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Djibouti vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,260 per month in Djibouti vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Djibouti is roughly 1% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Djibouti and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Djibouti 25% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.65 DJF 1,716

$9.05 R 147

6.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 DJF 14.5K

$39.48 R 642

107.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 DJF 2,232

$4.94 R 80.3

154.25%

Cappuccino

$3.75 DJF 667

$2.06 R 33.47

82.04%

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

$1.95 DJF 346

$0.95 R 15.40

105.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 DJF 337

$0.81 R 13.13

134.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 DJF 979

$2.21 R 35.90

149.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 DJF 1,517

$2.48 R 40.33

244.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 DJF 442

$1.11 R 18.07

124.32%

White Bread (500g)

$9.17 DJF 1,630

$1.02 R 16.64

799.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 DJF 666

$1.56 R 25.28

140.38%

Eggs

$6.73 DJF 1,197

$2.34 R 38.05

187.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 DJF 1,652

$7.73 R 126

20.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.32 DJF 3,257

$4.49 R 73.1

308.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 DJF 2,139

$6.73 R 109

78.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 DJF 662

$1.56 R 25.40

139.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 DJF 222

$1.43 R 23.22

-12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 DJF 497

$1.44 R 23.48

94.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 DJF 280

$1.51 R 24.55

4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 DJF 212

$1.22 R 19.81

-2.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 DJF 240

$1.28 R 20.74

5.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.73 DJF 1,019

$1.04 R 16.89

450.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 DJF 102

$0.94 R 15.21

-39.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.64 DJF 468

$2.99 R 48.55

-11.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 DJF 3,820

$5.16 R 83.8

316.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 DJF 414

$1.39 R 22.55

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 DJF 639

$1.66 R 26.93

116.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 DJF 52.0

$1.63 R 26.48

-82.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.19 DJF 3,767

$45.05 R 732

-52.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 DJF 494

$1.13 R 18.41

146.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.44 DJF 967

$1.10 R 17.93

394.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.92 DJF 4,963

$4.86 R 78.9

474.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 DJF 299

$1.24 R 20.15

35.48%

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

$33.8K DJF 6.0M

$20.3K R 330.2K

66.49%

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

$33.0K DJF 5.9M

$23.5K R 381.4K

40.80%

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

$531 DJF 94.4K

$113 R 1,843

368.10%

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

$31.64 DJF 5,625

$32.36 R 526

-2.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 DJF 10.4K

$41.45 R 674

41.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.4 DJF 15.2K

$31.59 R 513

170.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.77 DJF 4,226

$9.61 R 156

147.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 DJF 1,465

$6.83 R 111

20.64%

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

$342 DJF 60.8K

$187 R 3,039

82.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,745 DJF 1.6M

$4,362 R 70.9K

100.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.01 DJF 7,467

$49.50 R 804

-15.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.08 DJF 3,570

$30.42 R 494

-33.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 DJF 21.8K

$91.7 R 1,489

33.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.3 DJF 10.2K

$78.9 R 1,281

-27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 DJF 259.6K

$442 R 7,175

230.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 DJF 84.2K

$367 R 5,963

29.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 DJF 178.1K

$884 R 14.4K

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 DJF 260.3K

$723 R 11.8K

102.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K DJF 2.2M

$1,090 R 17.7K

1036.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,167 DJF 1.1M

$780 R 12.7K

690.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,815 DJF 500.4K

$1,558 R 25.3K

80.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.6

11.55

-16.88%

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

Last update for Djibouti: May 31, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $720 in Djibouti vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,440 in Djibouti and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $2,814 in Djibouti vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 17% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 85% higher in Djibouti, giving Djibouti 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

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

Djibouti is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 7% 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 Djibouti, contributing to the overall 7% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Djibouti, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Djibouti 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.