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: $842 in Gabon versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,370 in Gabon versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,898 in Gabon versus $2,175 in South Africa.

Living in Gabon costs about 17% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Gabon 37% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.80 FCFA 10.0K

$9.05 R 147

96.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 FCFA 45.4K

$39.48 R 642

103.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 FCFA 7,510

$4.94 R 80.3

169.64%

Cappuccino

$6.21 FCFA 3,503

$2.06 R 33.47

201.46%

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

$1.46 FCFA 821

$0.95 R 15.40

53.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 FCFA 812

$0.81 R 13.13

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 FCFA 607

$2.21 R 35.90

-51.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 FCFA 920

$2.48 R 40.33

-34.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 FCFA 1,687

$1.11 R 18.07

169.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 FCFA 820

$1.02 R 16.64

42.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 FCFA 2,381

$1.56 R 25.28

170.51%

Eggs

$5.41 FCFA 3,052

$2.34 R 38.05

131.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 FCFA 5,350

$7.73 R 126

22.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 FCFA 5,108

$4.49 R 73.1

101.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.88 FCFA 15.2K

$6.73 R 109

299.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 FCFA 2,463

$1.56 R 25.40

180.13%

Banana (1kg)

$4.39 FCFA 2,474

$1.43 R 23.22

206.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 FCFA 1,948

$1.44 R 23.48

139.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 FCFA 2,045

$1.51 R 24.55

140.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 FCFA 1,940

$1.22 R 19.81

181.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 FCFA 1,964

$1.28 R 20.74

171.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 FCFA 2,030

$1.04 R 16.89

246.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 FCFA 1,081

$0.94 R 15.21

104.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 FCFA 1,461

$2.99 R 48.55

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.96 FCFA 6,744

$5.16 R 83.8

131.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 FCFA 478

$1.39 R 22.55

-38.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 FCFA 1,017

$1.66 R 26.93

8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 FCFA 476

$1.63 R 26.48

-48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.43 FCFA 27.9K

$45.05 R 732

9.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 FCFA 763

$1.13 R 18.41

19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 FCFA 434

$1.10 R 17.93

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.65 FCFA 9,956

$4.86 R 78.9

263.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 FCFA 589

$1.24 R 20.15

-16.13%

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

$29.9K FCFA 16.8M

$20.3K R 330.2K

46.97%

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

$23.3K FCFA 13.1M

$23.5K R 381.4K

-0.92%

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

$88.6 FCFA 50.0K

$113 R 1,843

-21.91%

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

$34.59 FCFA 19.5K

$32.36 R 526

6.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 FCFA 39.6K

$41.45 R 674

69.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 FCFA 36.7K

$31.59 R 513

105.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.52 FCFA 15.0K

$9.61 R 156

175.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 FCFA 2,562

$6.83 R 111

-33.53%

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

$176 FCFA 99.3K

$187 R 3,039

-5.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,658 FCFA 3.2M

$4,362 R 70.9K

29.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 FCFA 48.8K

$49.50 R 804

74.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.37 FCFA 24.5K

$30.42 R 494

42.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.1 FCFA 29.9K

$91.7 R 1,489

-42.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 FCFA 58.7K

$78.9 R 1,281

32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 FCFA 634.6K

$442 R 7,175

154.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 FCFA 297.6K

$367 R 5,963

43.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 FCFA 1.5M

$884 R 14.4K

204.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 FCFA 566.1K

$723 R 11.8K

38.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,718 FCFA 2.1M

$1,090 R 17.7K

240.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 FCFA 1.6M

$780 R 12.7K

264.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 FCFA 249.3K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-71.62%

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 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $581 in Gabon, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $1,162 in Libreville vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $435 in Gabon, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in Gabon.

Dining out costs 14% more in Gabon.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Gabon.

Salaries are 249% 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 $842 per month in Gabon and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 28% 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.