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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $742 per month in Eritrea vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,088 per month in Eritrea vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,433 per month in Eritrea vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Eritrea is roughly 27% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Eritrea and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Eritrea 45% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.48 ERN 188

$9.05 R 148

37.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.12 ERN 453

$39.48 R 644

-23.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ERN 81.3

$4.94 R 80.6

9.51%

Cappuccino

$0.79 ERN 11.93

$2.06 R 33.60

-61.65%

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

$1.80 ERN 27.07

$0.95 R 15.46

89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ERN 19.68

$0.81 R 13.19

61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ERN 15.19

$2.21 R 36.05

-54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ERN 30.58

$2.48 R 40.50

-18.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ERN 24.60

$1.11 R 18.14

47.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ERN 7.69

$1.02 R 16.71

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 ERN 29.95

$1.56 R 25.39

27.56%

Eggs

$4.44 ERN 66.7

$2.34 R 38.21

89.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 ERN 43.90

$7.73 R 126

-62.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.91 ERN 404

$4.49 R 73.4

499.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.81 ERN 147

$6.73 R 110

45.77%

Apples (1kg)

$12.28 ERN 185

$1.56 R 25.50

687.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.77

$1.43 R 23.32

-12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ERN 29.23

$1.44 R 23.58

34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ERN 18.14

$1.51 R 24.65

-19.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 ERN 27.19

$1.22 R 19.89

48.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ERN 15.65

$1.28 R 20.83

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ERN 9.58

$1.04 R 16.96

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ERN 31.94

$0.94 R 15.27

126.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ERN 30.84

$2.99 R 48.75

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ERN 177

$5.16 R 84.2

127.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ERN 15.26

$1.39 R 22.65

-26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ERN 17.15

$1.66 R 27.04

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.04

$1.63 R 26.59

-91.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.10 ERN 122

$45.05 R 735

-82.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ERN 10.35

$1.13 R 18.48

-38.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ERN 9.05

$1.10 R 18.00

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 ERN 124

$4.86 R 79.3

69.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 ERN 32.27

$1.24 R 20.23

73.39%

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

$67.7K ERN 1.0M

$20.3K R 331.6K

232.95%

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

$71.4K ERN 1.1M

$23.5K R 383.0K

204.10%

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

$27.37 ERN 411

$113 R 1,851

-75.87%

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

$68.8 ERN 1,034

$32.36 R 528

112.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 ERN 3,022

$41.45 R 676

385.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.62 ERN 400

$31.59 R 516

-15.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.31 ERN 110

$9.61 R 157

-23.93%

Cinema Ticket

$1.08 ERN 16.26

$6.83 R 111

-84.19%

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

$24.57 ERN 369

$187 R 3,052

-86.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,699 ERN 25.5K

$4,362 R 71.2K

-61.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 ERN 1,215

$49.50 R 808

63.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.8 ERN 1,124

$30.42 R 496

145.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$199 ERN 2,996

$91.7 R 1,496

117.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ERN 1,416

$78.9 R 1,287

19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ERN 7,120

$442 R 7,205

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 ERN 6,125

$367 R 5,988

11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 ERN 10.7K

$884 R 14.4K

-19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ERN 9,722

$723 R 11.8K

-10.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,245 ERN 18.7K

$1,090 R 17.8K

14.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

$780 R 12.7K

185.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ERN 7,365

$1,558 R 25.4K

-68.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

3.90%

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

Last update for Eritrea: May 30, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $233 in Eritrea vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $467 in Asmara and $765 in Cape Town.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 133% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive 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

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

Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% 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 Eritrea, contributing to the overall 46% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eritrea, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eritrea 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.