Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eswatini and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Eswatini: $730 a month against $1,214 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Eswatini
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Eswatini Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇸🇿 Eswatini

$730

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eswatini and in South Africa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Eswatini and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $730 per month in Eswatini vs $1,214 in South Africa, rent included.

Eswatini $730
South Africa $1,214

A couple spends around $1,247 per month in Eswatini vs $1,908 in South Africa, rent included.

Eswatini $1,247
South Africa $1,908

A family of three spends $1,763 per month in Eswatini vs $2,602 in South Africa, rent included.

Eswatini $1,763
South Africa $2,602

The cost of living in Eswatini is roughly 40% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Eswatini and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Eswatini 46% lower, South Africa 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.69 SZL 93.6

$11.17 R 184

-49.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.19 SZL 530

$42.79 R 705

-24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 SZL 96.7

$5.75 R 94.8

2.26%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SZL 33.38

$2.35 R 38.68

-13.62%

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

$0.96 SZL 15.82

$1.14 R 18.73

-15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SZL 8.32

$0.86 R 14.23

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SZL 30.63

$2.38 R 39.19

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SZL 32.19

$3.07 R 50.6

-36.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 SZL 20.73

$1.22 R 20.13

3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SZL 16.05

$1.10 R 18.10

-11.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SZL 27.18

$1.74 R 28.66

-5.17%

Eggs

$1.62 SZL 26.63

$2.61 R 42.98

-37.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 SZL 223

$8.46 R 139

60.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 SZL 110

$5.17 R 85.1

28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 SZL 82.0

$7.81 R 129

-36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 SZL 39.04

$1.79 R 29.52

32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 SZL 10.98

$1.75 R 28.87

-61.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 SZL 24.52

$1.73 R 28.50

-13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 SZL 22.67

$1.79 R 29.47

-22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SZL 25.30

$1.44 R 23.75

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 SZL 25.88

$1.52 R 24.97

3.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 SZL 11.88

$1.25 R 20.59

-42.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 SZL 13.55

$1.10 R 18.18

-25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 SZL 49.00

$3.43 R 56.5

-13.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.30 SZL 87.3

$4.90 R 80.7

8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 SZL 14.56

$1.53 R 25.21

-42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 SZL 22.69

$2.00 R 32.96

-31.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 SZL 12.39

$1.57 R 25.85

-52.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.40 SZL 402

$59.7 R 983

-59.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 SZL 30.61

$1.07 R 17.58

73.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SZL 25.56

$1.04 R 17.17

49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 SZL 56.7

$7.74 R 128

-55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 SZL 20.69

$1.50 R 24.75

-16.00%

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

$14.4K SZL 237.8K

$36.4K R 600.2K

-60.34%

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

$16.8K SZL 276.7K

$33.1K R 545.0K

-49.19%

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

$82.8 SZL 1,363

$132 R 2,172

-37.19%

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

$34.56 SZL 569

$35.19 R 580

-1.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.58 SZL 454

$39.82 R 656

-30.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.11 SZL 347

$33.82 R 557

-37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.80 SZL 46.15

$11.61 R 191

-75.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 SZL 61.6

$7.15 R 118

-47.69%

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

$227 R 3,740

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,360 SZL 104.7K

$5,604 R 92.3K

13.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.82 SZL 573

$53.1 R 874

-34.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.45 SZL 320

$34.46 R 568

-43.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 SZL 1,176

$102 R 1,680

-29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 SZL 904

$90.0 R 1,482

-38.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 SZL 3,371

$488 R 8,036

-58.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 SZL 2,311

$403 R 6,634

-65.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 SZL 9,949

$960 R 15.8K

-37.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 SZL 7,425

$824 R 13.6K

-45.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$343 SZL 5,642

$1,115 R 18.4K

-69.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$257 SZL 4,237

$803 R 13.2K

-67.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 SZL 11.4K

$1,482 R 24.4K

-53.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

11.23

-18.79%

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

Last update for Eswatini: October 19, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Eswatini

$191 26.2%

South Africa

$198 16.3% 3.3% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eswatini

$145 19.9%

South Africa

$207 17% 42.7% $62

Accommodation & Living

Eswatini

$140 19.2%

South Africa

$403 33.2% 187% $262

Eating Out

Eswatini

$107 14.6%

South Africa

$161 13.3% 51% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Eswatini

$81 11.1%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 54.7% $44

Getting Around

Eswatini

$37 5.1%

South Africa

$72 6% 95.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Eswatini

$29 3.9%

South Africa

$48 4% 68.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $113 in Eswatini vs $429 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $273 in Mbabane and $455 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $638 in Eswatini vs $1,501 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 280% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 225% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 135% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Eswatini

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

Same time as Eswatini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,230,506

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Eswatini South Africa 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Eswatini
South Africa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Eswatini is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $429 versus $113 in Eswatini.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Eswatini, adding to the overall 66% price gap.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eswatini, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eswatini 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.