Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gabon and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,203 a month against $1,489 in Gabon, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Gabon despite lower rent and utilities.

72

Cost of Living Index in Gabon
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Gabon Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇬🇦 Gabon

$1,489

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gabon 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 Gabon and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,489 in Gabon versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Gabon $1,489
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Gabon versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Gabon $2,449
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Gabon versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Gabon $3,409
South Africa $2,583

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $1,500–$1,500 in Gabon. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in Gabon is roughly 24% more expensive than in South Africa on average.

Gabon (9% above) and South Africa (12% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 FCFA 9,839

$10.67 R 177

56.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 FCFA 40.8K

$41.66 R 693

66.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.52 FCFA 9,139

$5.80 R 96.5

167.59%

Cappuccino

$6.01 FCFA 3,541

$2.36 R 39.23

154.66%

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

$1.71 FCFA 1,010

$1.12 R 18.56

52.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 FCFA 812

$0.90 R 15.00

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 FCFA 610

$2.42 R 40.20

-57.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 FCFA 1,112

$3.06 R 50.9

-38.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.44 FCFA 2,027

$1.18 R 19.58

191.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 FCFA 708

$1.13 R 18.83

6.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 FCFA 1,664

$1.74 R 28.90

62.07%

Eggs

$4.37 FCFA 2,576

$2.57 R 42.80

70.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 FCFA 5,991

$8.43 R 140

20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 FCFA 5,102

$5.12 R 85.1

69.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.74 FCFA 15.2K

$7.59 R 126

239.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 FCFA 1,801

$1.77 R 29.52

72.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.79 FCFA 2,233

$1.74 R 28.90

117.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 FCFA 2,188

$1.77 R 29.43

110.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 FCFA 2,037

$1.76 R 29.26

96.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 FCFA 1,763

$1.49 R 24.81

100.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 FCFA 2,532

$1.47 R 24.38

192.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 FCFA 1,286

$1.23 R 20.52

77.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 FCFA 980

$1.10 R 18.25

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 FCFA 1,472

$3.24 R 54.0

-22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 FCFA 6,837

$5.00 R 83.2

132.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 FCFA 565

$1.50 R 24.90

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 FCFA 747

$1.94 R 32.26

-34.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 FCFA 210

$1.48 R 24.58

-75.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 FCFA 20.3K

$59.3 R 986

-41.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 FCFA 748

$1.09 R 18.21

16.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 FCFA 429

$0.99 R 16.46

-26.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 FCFA 10.1K

$7.46 R 124

130.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 FCFA 613

$1.43 R 23.76

-27.27%

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

$29.2K FCFA 17.2M

$35.3K R 587.4K

-17.23%

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

$22.2K FCFA 13.1M

$32.4K R 539.7K

-31.64%

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

$85.7 FCFA 50.5K

$133 R 2,208

-35.42%

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

$33.87 FCFA 19.9K

$34.83 R 580

-2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 FCFA 38.1K

$39.76 R 662

62.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 FCFA 37.3K

$33.09 R 551

91.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.97 FCFA 15.3K

$11.65 R 194

122.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 FCFA 2,702

$7.18 R 119

-36.07%

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

$171 FCFA 101.0K

$224 R 3,728

-23.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,599 FCFA 3.3M

$5,462 R 90.9K

2.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 FCFA 50.0K

$54.2 R 902

56.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 FCFA 25.0K

$34.13 R 568

24.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 FCFA 30.4K

$102 R 1,699

-49.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 FCFA 59.9K

$88.5 R 1,472

14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 FCFA 593.1K

$492 R 8,189

104.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 FCFA 246.2K

$398 R 6,617

5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 FCFA 1.2M

$946 R 15.7K

122.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 FCFA 506.9K

$827 R 13.8K

4.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,621 FCFA 2.1M

$1,099 R 18.3K

229.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,758 FCFA 1.6M

$769 R 12.8K

258.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 FCFA 253.7K

$1,502 R 25.0K

-71.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.23

2.40%

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

Last update for Gabon: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gabon

$418 28.1%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 4.9% $20

Groceries & Markets

Gabon

$373 25.1%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 47.5% $177

Eating Out

Gabon

$274 18.4%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 42.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gabon

$184 12.4%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 12.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Gabon

$126 8.5%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Gabon

$73 4.9%

South Africa

$47 4% 34.6% $25

Getting Around

Gabon

$41 2.7%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 74.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,028 in Gabon, $422 in South Africa. Capital cities: $1,028 in Libreville vs $450 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $417 in Gabon, $1,488 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 144% higher in Gabon.

Dining out costs 74% more in Gabon.

Public transport is 79% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 3.6 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇬🇦 Gabon

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

1 h ahead of Gabon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,025,137

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gabon South Africa 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Gabon
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

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

At $1,489 per month in Gabon and $1,203 in South Africa, there’s a 24% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,028 in Gabon and $422 in South Africa. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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