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 $736 per month in Eritrea vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,089 per month in Eritrea vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in Eritrea vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Eritrea is roughly 28% lower than in 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

$12.34 ERN 185

$9.14 R 151

35.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.43 ERN 442

$39.14 R 646

-24.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 ERN 82.1

$5.19 R 85.6

5.20%

Cappuccino

$0.74 ERN 11.18

$1.98 R 32.63

-62.63%

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

$1.80 ERN 27.02

$1.00 R 16.52

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ERN 20.38

$0.79 R 12.97

72.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ERN 15.48

$2.21 R 36.50

-53.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ERN 29.61

$2.57 R 42.45

-23.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ERN 24.69

$1.12 R 18.50

46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ERN 7.80

$0.97 R 15.96

-46.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 ERN 29.52

$1.54 R 25.47

27.27%

Eggs

$4.58 ERN 68.9

$2.25 R 37.10

103.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.95 ERN 44.38

$7.86 R 130

-62.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.54 ERN 399

$4.58 R 75.6

479.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.81 ERN 147

$6.68 R 110

46.86%

Apples (1kg)

$12.18 ERN 183

$1.57 R 25.98

675.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ERN 19.45

$1.47 R 24.27

-12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ERN 28.59

$1.52 R 25.10

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ERN 18.00

$1.51 R 24.91

-20.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ERN 26.68

$1.26 R 20.79

41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ERN 15.88

$1.27 R 21.04

-16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ERN 9.89

$1.09 R 17.93

-39.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ERN 31.64

$0.97 R 16.00

117.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ERN 30.87

$2.84 R 46.81

-27.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 ERN 177

$5.20 R 85.9

126.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ERN 15.31

$1.38 R 22.84

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ERN 17.79

$1.72 R 28.36

-31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 ERN 1.71

$1.72 R 28.42

-93.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.95 ERN 120

$44.22 R 730

-82.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ERN 9.68

$1.15 R 19.01

-44.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ERN 9.05

$1.07 R 17.59

-43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 ERN 124

$4.74 R 78.2

73.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 ERN 31.96

$1.28 R 21.18

66.41%

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

$67.4K ERN 1.0M

$20.4K R 336.1K

231.03%

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

$70.6K ERN 1.1M

$24.0K R 395.8K

194.34%

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

$27.99 ERN 421

$113 R 1,864

-75.21%

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

$68.8 ERN 1,034

$32.35 R 534

112.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$198 ERN 2,978

$41.46 R 684

377.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.52 ERN 399

$31.04 R 512

-14.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.42 ERN 112

$9.72 R 160

-23.66%

Cinema Ticket

$1.12 ERN 16.89

$6.67 R 110

-83.21%

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

$25.09 ERN 377

$186 R 3,063

-86.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,659 ERN 24.9K

$4,399 R 72.6K

-62.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 ERN 1,219

$50.2 R 828

61.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.4 ERN 1,149

$30.37 R 501

151.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$199 ERN 2,990

$93.4 R 1,541

113.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 ERN 1,406

$80.4 R 1,327

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 ERN 7,049

$439 R 7,239

6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 ERN 6,063

$372 R 6,136

8.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 ERN 11.0K

$903 R 14.9K

-19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ERN 9,621

$705 R 11.6K

-9.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,243 ERN 18.7K

$1,116 R 18.4K

11.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,254 ERN 33.9K

$793 R 13.1K

184.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$504 ERN 7,573

$1,506 R 24.9K

-66.54%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $238 in Eritrea vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $476 in Asmara and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $997 in Eritrea 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 55% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 133% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 52% 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

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

Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 47% 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 47% 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.