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 $1,014 per month in Djibouti vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,644 per month in Djibouti vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,274 per month in Djibouti vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Djibouti is roughly 1% 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 24% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.63 DJF 1,713

$9.14 R 150

5.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 DJF 14.4K

$39.14 R 643

107.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 DJF 2,210

$5.19 R 85.3

139.50%

Cappuccino

$3.74 DJF 664

$1.98 R 32.50

88.89%

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

$1.96 DJF 348

$1.00 R 16.45

96.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 DJF 342

$0.79 R 12.92

143.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 DJF 994

$2.21 R 36.36

152.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.53 DJF 1,516

$2.57 R 42.28

231.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 DJF 458

$1.12 R 18.43

129.46%

White Bread (500g)

$9.17 DJF 1,631

$0.97 R 15.90

845.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 DJF 655

$1.54 R 25.37

139.61%

Eggs

$6.76 DJF 1,203

$2.25 R 36.96

200.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 DJF 1,722

$7.86 R 129

23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.15 DJF 3,227

$4.58 R 75.3

296.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 DJF 2,166

$6.68 R 110

82.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 DJF 658

$1.57 R 25.88

135.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 DJF 223

$1.47 R 24.18

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 DJF 515

$1.52 R 25.00

90.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 DJF 290

$1.51 R 24.81

7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 DJF 221

$1.26 R 20.71

-1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 DJF 249

$1.27 R 20.96

10.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.73 DJF 1,018

$1.09 R 17.86

425.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 DJF 103

$0.97 R 15.93

-40.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 DJF 484

$2.84 R 46.62

-4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.97 DJF 3,730

$5.20 R 85.5

303.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 DJF 413

$1.38 R 22.74

68.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 DJF 633

$1.72 R 28.24

106.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 DJF 47.48

$1.72 R 28.30

-84.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 DJF 3,766

$44.22 R 727

-52.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 DJF 491

$1.15 R 18.93

140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.64 DJF 1,003

$1.07 R 17.51

427.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.01 DJF 4,981

$4.74 R 77.8

490.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 DJF 314

$1.28 R 21.09

37.50%

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

$33.6K DJF 6.0M

$20.4K R 334.8K

64.77%

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

$32.5K DJF 5.8M

$24.0K R 394.3K

35.40%

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

$512 DJF 91.1K

$113 R 1,856

353.65%

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

$31.87 DJF 5,667

$32.35 R 532

-1.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 DJF 10.4K

$41.46 R 682

41.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.7 DJF 15.4K

$31.04 R 510

179.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.03 DJF 4,273

$9.72 R 160

147.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 DJF 1,548

$6.67 R 110

30.43%

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

$333 DJF 59.1K

$186 R 3,051

79.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,786 DJF 1.6M

$4,399 R 72.3K

99.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.64 DJF 7,582

$50.2 R 824

-14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.94 DJF 3,546

$30.37 R 499

-34.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 DJF 21.9K

$93.4 R 1,535

32.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 DJF 10.0K

$80.4 R 1,322

-29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 DJF 250.7K

$439 R 7,210

221.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 DJF 85.3K

$372 R 6,112

29.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 DJF 174.8K

$903 R 14.8K

8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 DJF 267.3K

$705 R 11.6K

113.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K DJF 2.3M

$1,116 R 18.3K

1046.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,134 DJF 1.1M

$793 R 13.0K

673.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 DJF 496.2K

$1,506 R 24.8K

85.29%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $720 in Djibouti vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,439 in Djibouti and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $2,881 in Djibouti 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 96% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 17% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 45% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 90% 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 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.