Cost of Living Comparison Between Ivory Coast and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Ivory Coast and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $753 per month in Ivory Coast vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,180 per month in Ivory Coast vs $1,585 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,606 per month in Ivory Coast vs $2,150 in South Africa, rent included.

Ivory Coast is roughly 26% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Ivory Coast and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Ivory Coast 44% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 F CFA 2,018

$8.88 R 144

-59.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 F CFA 35.5K

$39.40 R 637

59.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 F CFA 5,938

$4.92 R 79.6

113.62%

Cappuccino

$2.08 F CFA 1,176

$2.00 R 32.28

4.00%

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

$0.80 F CFA 450

$1.03 R 16.58

-22.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 F CFA 512

$0.75 R 12.15

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 F CFA 615

$2.26 R 36.50

-51.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 F CFA 1,011

$2.47 R 40.00

-27.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 F CFA 1,308

$1.08 R 17.42

114.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 F CFA 361

$1.04 R 16.78

-38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 668

$1.57 R 25.45

-24.84%

Eggs

$2.30 F CFA 1,299

$2.28 R 36.86

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.51 F CFA 9,888

$7.73 R 125

126.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 F CFA 4,705

$4.56 R 73.8

82.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.45 F CFA 3,641

$6.72 R 109

-4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 F CFA 2,024

$1.50 R 24.31

138.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 F CFA 595

$1.41 R 22.87

-25.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 F CFA 1,116

$1.51 R 24.38

31.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 F CFA 1,081

$1.52 R 24.51

25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 F CFA 875

$1.26 R 20.44

23.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 F CFA 960

$1.30 R 20.95

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 F CFA 473

$1.09 R 17.62

-22.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 F CFA 507

$0.99 R 15.99

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 F CFA 983

$2.98 R 48.20

-41.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 F CFA 3,544

$5.12 R 82.9

22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 F CFA 600

$1.32 R 21.37

-19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 F CFA 772

$1.65 R 26.68

-16.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 F CFA 485

$1.71 R 27.60

-49.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.14 F CFA 27.2K

$45.13 R 730

6.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 F CFA 982

$1.11 R 17.93

56.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 F CFA 904

$1.11 R 17.91

44.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 F CFA 15.2K

$4.70 R 76.1

471.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 F CFA 847

$1.28 R 20.74

17.19%

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

$31.2K F CFA 17.6M

$20.8K R 335.8K

50.41%

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

$28.7K F CFA 16.2M

$23.5K R 379.4K

22.13%

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

$182 F CFA 102.6K

$111 R 1,792

63.96%

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

$35.44 F CFA 20.0K

$32.41 R 524

9.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.14 F CFA 27.2K

$41.64 R 673

15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.0 F CFA 44.6K

$31.24 R 505

152.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 F CFA 12.2K

$9.78 R 158

121.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.62 F CFA 4,870

$6.78 R 110

27.14%

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

$293 F CFA 165.6K

$189 R 3,048

55.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,222 F CFA 1.8M

$4,394 R 71.0K

-26.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 F CFA 50.2K

$49.42 R 799

80.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 F CFA 30.6K

$30.39 R 491

78.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 F CFA 48.2K

$94.1 R 1,522

-9.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 F CFA 82.5K

$79.4 R 1,283

84.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 F CFA 326.9K

$444 R 7,171

30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 F CFA 200.4K

$368 R 5,948

-3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 F CFA 1.0M

$880 R 14.2K

107.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 F CFA 524.7K

$714 R 11.5K

30.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,326 F CFA 1.3M

$1,061 R 17.2K

119.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 F CFA 384.8K

$782 R 12.6K

-12.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 F CFA 128.1K

$1,505 R 24.3K

-84.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.5

11.55

25.54%

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

Last update for Ivory Coast: June 7, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $221 in Ivory Coast 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 141% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 20% more in Ivory Coast.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 579% 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

Ivory Coast vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ivory Coast is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 62% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Ivory Coast, contributing to the overall 62% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ivory Coast, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ivory Coast 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.