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 $1,006 per month in Djibouti vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,610 per month in Djibouti vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,213 per month in Djibouti vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Djibouti is roughly 12% lower than in 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 27% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.67 DJF 1,721

$11.30 R 182

-14.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 DJF 12.9K

$44.51 R 717

63.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 DJF 2,738

$5.90 R 95.0

160.85%

Cappuccino

$3.47 DJF 617

$2.44 R 39.22

42.21%

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

$1.88 DJF 335

$1.16 R 18.64

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 DJF 296

$0.96 R 15.39

72.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 DJF 1,259

$2.56 R 41.29

176.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 DJF 1,547

$3.08 R 49.60

182.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 DJF 509

$1.28 R 20.57

123.44%

White Bread (500g)

$9.03 DJF 1,608

$1.13 R 18.15

699.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 DJF 489

$1.83 R 29.55

50.27%

Eggs

$5.75 DJF 1,024

$2.55 R 41.12

125.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 DJF 1,674

$8.35 R 134

12.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.53 DJF 3,298

$5.44 R 87.6

240.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 DJF 2,186

$7.88 R 127

55.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 DJF 651

$1.90 R 30.61

92.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 DJF 211

$1.70 R 27.36

-30.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 DJF 451

$1.81 R 29.14

40.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 DJF 284

$1.88 R 30.23

-14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 DJF 275

$1.54 R 24.76

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 DJF 285

$1.49 R 24.03

7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.45 DJF 970

$1.33 R 21.45

309.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 DJF 102

$1.19 R 19.09

-52.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 DJF 345

$3.41 R 55.0

-43.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.43 DJF 3,814

$5.08 R 81.7

321.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 DJF 407

$1.51 R 24.28

51.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 DJF 644

$2.03 R 32.64

78.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 DJF 76.7

$1.76 R 28.39

-75.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.60 DJF 7,580

$63.1 R 1,016

-32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 DJF 503

$1.12 R 17.97

152.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.45 DJF 970

$1.01 R 16.33

439.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.59 DJF 4,910

$8.07 R 130

241.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 DJF 392

$1.46 R 23.53

50.68%

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

$34.0K DJF 6.1M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-7.55%

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

$33.3K DJF 5.9M

$32.5K R 523.6K

2.32%

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

$523 DJF 93.1K

$136 R 2,185

285.83%

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

$31.97 DJF 5,688

$35.72 R 575

-10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 DJF 10.7K

$41.40 R 667

45.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.4 DJF 15.5K

$34.96 R 563

149.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 DJF 5,101

$12.46 R 201

130.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 DJF 2,286

$7.62 R 123

68.64%

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

$333 DJF 59.3K

$231 R 3,725

44.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,911 DJF 1.6M

$5,726 R 92.2K

55.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.77 DJF 7,610

$56.4 R 908

-24.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.88 DJF 3,537

$33.91 R 546

-41.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 DJF 22.0K

$102 R 1,639

21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 DJF 9,957

$93.0 R 1,497

-39.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 DJF 120.8K

$506 R 8,154

34.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 DJF 86.7K

$418 R 6,727

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 DJF 176.9K

$979 R 15.8K

1.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 DJF 224.3K

$838 R 13.5K

50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K DJF 2.3M

$1,151 R 18.5K

1020.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,165 DJF 1.1M

$800 R 12.9K

670.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 DJF 501.4K

$1,554 R 25.0K

81.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.07

11.24

16.28%

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

Last update for Djibouti: September 7, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $341 in Djibouti vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $682 in Djibouti and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $2,786 in Djibouti vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in South Africa.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 79% higher in Djibouti, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Djibouti.

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 22% 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 22% 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.