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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $831 in Gabon versus $1,019 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,338 in Gabon versus $1,585 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,845 in Gabon versus $2,150 in South Africa.

Living in Gabon costs about 18% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Gabon 38% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 FCFA 10.0K

$8.88 R 144

99.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 FCFA 44.2K

$39.40 R 641

97.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.15 FCFA 7,448

$4.92 R 80.1

167.28%

Cappuccino

$6.00 FCFA 3,401

$2.00 R 32.49

200.00%

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

$1.50 FCFA 847

$1.03 R 16.69

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 FCFA 805

$0.75 R 12.23

89.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 FCFA 612

$2.26 R 36.75

-52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 FCFA 935

$2.47 R 40.27

-33.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 FCFA 1,718

$1.08 R 17.53

180.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 FCFA 835

$1.04 R 16.90

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 FCFA 2,393

$1.57 R 25.62

168.79%

Eggs

$5.61 FCFA 3,181

$2.28 R 37.11

146.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 FCFA 5,134

$7.73 R 126

17.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 FCFA 5,070

$4.56 R 74.3

96.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 FCFA 15.2K

$6.72 R 109

298.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 FCFA 2,446

$1.50 R 24.47

188.00%

Banana (1kg)

$4.39 FCFA 2,486

$1.41 R 23.02

211.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 FCFA 1,994

$1.51 R 24.54

133.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 FCFA 2,039

$1.52 R 24.67

136.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 FCFA 2,035

$1.26 R 20.58

184.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 FCFA 2,050

$1.30 R 21.09

178.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.50 FCFA 1,980

$1.09 R 17.74

221.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 FCFA 1,128

$0.99 R 16.10

101.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 FCFA 1,516

$2.98 R 48.53

-10.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 FCFA 6,719

$5.12 R 83.4

131.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 FCFA 482

$1.32 R 21.52

-35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 FCFA 1,006

$1.65 R 26.86

7.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 FCFA 475

$1.71 R 27.79

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.06 FCFA 27.2K

$45.13 R 735

6.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 FCFA 763

$1.11 R 18.05

21.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 FCFA 416

$1.11 R 18.03

-34.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.37 FCFA 9,843

$4.70 R 76.6

269.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 FCFA 606

$1.28 R 20.88

-16.41%

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

$30.5K FCFA 17.3M

$20.8K R 338.0K

46.99%

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

$22.5K FCFA 12.8M

$23.5K R 381.9K

-4.06%

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

$88.4 FCFA 50.1K

$111 R 1,804

-20.27%

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

$35.71 FCFA 20.2K

$32.41 R 528

10.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 FCFA 39.3K

$41.64 R 678

66.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 FCFA 36.9K

$31.24 R 508

108.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.28 FCFA 14.9K

$9.78 R 159

168.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 FCFA 2,565

$6.78 R 110

-33.19%

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

$180 FCFA 101.8K

$189 R 3,069

-4.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,824 FCFA 3.3M

$4,394 R 71.5K

32.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 FCFA 50.2K

$49.42 R 804

79.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 FCFA 24.6K

$30.39 R 495

42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.1 FCFA 30.1K

$94.1 R 1,532

-43.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 FCFA 59.4K

$79.4 R 1,292

32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 FCFA 660.0K

$444 R 7,219

162.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 FCFA 295.0K

$368 R 5,988

41.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 FCFA 1.5M

$880 R 14.3K

197.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 FCFA 584.9K

$714 R 11.6K

44.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,642 FCFA 2.1M

$1,061 R 17.3K

243.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 FCFA 1.6M

$782 R 12.7K

255.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 FCFA 249.0K

$1,505 R 24.5K

-70.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-13.42%

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

Last update for Gabon: June 6, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $563 in Gabon, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $1,125 in Libreville vs $764 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $439 in Gabon, $1,501 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in Gabon.

Dining out costs 17% more in Gabon.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Gabon.

Salaries are 242% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

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

At $832 per month in Gabon and $1,084 in South Africa, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Gabon is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats Gabon across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Gabon, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In South Africa, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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