Cost of Living Comparison Between Equatorial Guinea and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Equatorial Guinea and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Equatorial Guinea versus $1,137 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,660 in Equatorial Guinea versus $1,773 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Equatorial Guinea versus $2,408 in South Africa.

Living in Equatorial Guinea costs about 4% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Equatorial Guinea 21% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $633 to $1,817, compared to $685–$1,488 in Equatorial Guinea. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 FCFA 7,862

$11.22 R 182

23.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 FCFA 32.5K

$42.86 R 697

33.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 FCFA 4,858

$5.77 R 93.8

48.18%

Cappuccino

$4.12 FCFA 2,342

$2.41 R 39.24

70.95%

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

$1.08 FCFA 613

$1.19 R 19.41

-9.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 360

$0.87 R 14.22

-27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 FCFA 1,520

$2.40 R 39.08

11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 FCFA 2,455

$2.99 R 48.68

44.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 FCFA 1,414

$1.25 R 20.33

99.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 FCFA 1,823

$1.10 R 17.84

191.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 FCFA 963

$1.77 R 28.73

-4.52%

Eggs

$3.32 FCFA 1,886

$2.51 R 40.84

32.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 FCFA 5,043

$8.46 R 138

4.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 FCFA 3,971

$5.41 R 88.0

29.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 FCFA 5,147

$7.94 R 129

14.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 FCFA 3,786

$1.82 R 29.56

266.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 FCFA 985

$1.69 R 27.41

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.56 FCFA 4,864

$1.73 R 28.15

394.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 FCFA 1,980

$1.77 R 28.79

97.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 FCFA 1,467

$1.47 R 23.91

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 FCFA 1,543

$1.46 R 23.83

86.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 FCFA 513

$1.25 R 20.41

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 FCFA 740

$1.16 R 18.82

12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.77 FCFA 2,711

$3.31 R 53.9

44.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 FCFA 3,578

$4.88 R 79.3

29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 FCFA 1,391

$1.53 R 24.85

60.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 FCFA 477

$2.05 R 33.30

-59.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 FCFA 984

$1.69 R 27.43

2.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.17 FCFA 14.9K

$62.8 R 1,021

-58.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FCFA 522

$1.08 R 17.52

-14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 FCFA 523

$0.94 R 15.35

-2.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 FCFA 5,006

$7.90 R 128

11.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 FCFA 635

$1.43 R 23.22

-21.68%

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

$32.5K FCFA 18.4M

$36.6K R 595.6K

-11.31%

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

$29.6K FCFA 16.8M

$31.1K R 506.2K

-4.80%

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

$354 FCFA 201.3K

$131 R 2,133

170.39%

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

$17.71 FCFA 10.1K

$35.38 R 576

-49.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.73 FCFA 19.7K

$41.24 R 671

-15.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 FCFA 30.2K

$34.46 R 561

54.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 FCFA 8,226

$11.85 R 193

22.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 FCFA 2,991

$7.58 R 123

-30.47%

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

$231 R 3,766

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$357 FCFA 202.9K

$5,534 R 90.0K

-93.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 FCFA 44.6K

$55.0 R 895

42.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 FCFA 39.8K

$33.73 R 549

107.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 FCFA 84.5K

$100 R 1,631

48.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 FCFA 79.7K

$91.5 R 1,488

53.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 FCFA 222.2K

$501 R 8,154

-21.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 FCFA 126.1K

$418 R 6,807

-46.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 FCFA 287.6K

$955 R 15.5K

-46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 FCFA 184.0K

$826 R 13.4K

-60.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$833 FCFA 473.2K

$1,158 R 18.8K

-28.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$632 FCFA 359.2K

$788 R 12.8K

-19.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$790 FCFA 448.7K

$1,542 R 25.1K

-48.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

11.24

-39.50%

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

Last update for Equatorial Guinea: September 14, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $788 in Equatorial Guinea, $1,543 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 123% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 45% more in Equatorial Guinea.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 96% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

Equatorial Guinea vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,087 per month in Equatorial Guinea and $1,225 in South Africa, there's a 13% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Equatorial Guinea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Equatorial Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Equatorial Guinea, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Equatorial Guinea wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.