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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Guinea versus $1,143 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,315 in Guinea versus $1,781 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,850 in Guinea versus $2,419 in South Africa.

Living in Guinea costs about 32% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guinea 44% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Guinea ($207–$1,351) and South Africa ($647–$1,815) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 GNF 43.3K

$11.30 R 182

-56.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 GNF 269.8K

$44.51 R 717

-31.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 GNF 92.0K

$5.90 R 95.0

77.46%

Cappuccino

$3.25 GNF 28.5K

$2.44 R 39.22

33.20%

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

$1.84 GNF 16.2K

$1.16 R 18.64

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 GNF 10.4K

$0.96 R 15.39

23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 GNF 25.6K

$2.56 R 41.29

14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 GNF 39.1K

$3.08 R 49.60

44.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 GNF 18.6K

$1.28 R 20.57

65.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 GNF 13.1K

$1.13 R 18.15

31.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 GNF 13.3K

$1.83 R 29.55

-17.49%

Eggs

$3.97 GNF 34.9K

$2.55 R 41.12

55.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.88 GNF 165.8K

$8.35 R 134

126.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 GNF 54.4K

$5.44 R 87.6

13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 GNF 87.5K

$7.88 R 127

26.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 GNF 22.3K

$1.90 R 30.61

33.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 GNF 21.2K

$1.70 R 27.36

41.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 GNF 22.4K

$1.81 R 29.14

40.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 GNF 23.6K

$1.88 R 30.23

43.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 GNF 16.5K

$1.54 R 24.76

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 GNF 16.2K

$1.49 R 24.03

24.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 GNF 9,353

$1.33 R 21.45

-20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 GNF 9,211

$1.19 R 19.09

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.17 GNF 10.3K

$3.41 R 55.0

-65.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 GNF 96.4K

$5.08 R 81.7

115.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 GNF 13.7K

$1.51 R 24.28

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 GNF 15.6K

$2.03 R 32.64

-12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 GNF 12.9K

$1.76 R 28.39

-16.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.64 GNF 251.6K

$63.1 R 1,016

-54.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 GNF 13.5K

$1.12 R 17.97

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 GNF 7,730

$1.01 R 16.33

-12.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.19 GNF 344.3K

$8.07 R 130

385.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 GNF 12.4K

$1.46 R 23.53

-3.42%

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

$25.4K GNF 223.3M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-30.95%

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

$23.1K GNF 203.3M

$32.5K R 523.6K

-28.82%

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

$171 GNF 1.5M

$136 R 2,185

26.08%

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

$76.4 GNF 670.8K

$35.72 R 575

113.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$184 GNF 1.6M

$41.40 R 667

345.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 GNF 787.0K

$34.96 R 563

156.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.55 GNF 250.8K

$12.46 R 201

129.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 GNF 36.1K

$7.62 R 123

-46.06%

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

$231 R 3,725

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,403 GNF 56.2M

$5,726 R 92.2K

11.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 GNF 178.7K

$56.4 R 908

-63.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.07 GNF 220.2K

$33.91 R 546

-26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.57 GNF 268.6K

$102 R 1,639

-69.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.58 GNF 435.5K

$93.0 R 1,497

-46.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 GNF 4.5M

$506 R 8,154

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 GNF 2.8M

$418 R 6,727

-24.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 GNF 10.3M

$979 R 15.8K

19.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 GNF 8.9M

$838 R 13.5K

21.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$109 GNF 957.0K

$1,151 R 18.5K

-90.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,295 GNF 20.2M

$1,554 R 25.0K

47.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.25

11.24

-8.81%

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

Last update for Guinea: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $255 in Guinea, $445 in South Africa. Capital cities: $511 in Conakry vs $324 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $1,801 in Guinea, $1,553 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 11% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 21% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 16% higher in Guinea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Guinea.

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

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

At $779 per month in Guinea and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 58% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guinea: 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 is consistently higher than in Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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