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 $704 per month in Ivory Coast vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,188 per month in Ivory Coast vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,671 per month in Ivory Coast vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Ivory Coast is roughly 38% lower than in 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 49% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 F CFA 1,495

$11.30 R 182

-76.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 F CFA 40.5K

$44.51 R 717

61.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 F CFA 5,942

$5.90 R 95.0

78.31%

Cappuccino

$1.99 F CFA 1,123

$2.44 R 39.22

-18.44%

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

$0.73 F CFA 412

$1.16 R 18.64

-37.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 F CFA 415

$0.96 R 15.39

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 F CFA 591

$2.56 R 41.29

-58.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 F CFA 1,021

$3.08 R 49.60

-41.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 F CFA 1,278

$1.28 R 20.57

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 F CFA 265

$1.13 R 18.15

-58.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 F CFA 662

$1.83 R 29.55

-36.07%

Eggs

$2.38 F CFA 1,345

$2.55 R 41.12

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.13 F CFA 12.5K

$8.35 R 134

165.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 F CFA 3,212

$5.44 R 87.6

4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.98 F CFA 3,380

$7.88 R 127

-24.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 F CFA 2,190

$1.90 R 30.61

104.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 F CFA 633

$1.70 R 27.36

-34.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 F CFA 1,204

$1.81 R 29.14

17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 F CFA 1,221

$1.88 R 30.23

14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 F CFA 1,024

$1.54 R 24.76

17.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 F CFA 1,073

$1.49 R 24.03

27.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 F CFA 401

$1.33 R 21.45

-46.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 F CFA 495

$1.19 R 19.09

-26.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 F CFA 991

$3.41 R 55.0

-48.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 F CFA 3,047

$5.08 R 81.7

6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 F CFA 612

$1.51 R 24.28

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 F CFA 762

$2.03 R 32.64

-33.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 F CFA 526

$1.76 R 28.39

-47.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.01 F CFA 24.9K

$63.1 R 1,016

-30.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 F CFA 986

$1.12 R 17.97

56.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 F CFA 1,026

$1.01 R 16.33

80.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 F CFA 15.2K

$8.07 R 130

232.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 F CFA 860

$1.46 R 23.53

4.11%

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

$29.1K F CFA 16.5M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-20.83%

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

$28.0K F CFA 15.8M

$32.5K R 523.6K

-13.94%

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

$173 F CFA 97.8K

$136 R 2,185

27.61%

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

$24.99 F CFA 14.1K

$35.72 R 575

-30.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 F CFA 19.5K

$41.40 R 667

-16.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 F CFA 40.9K

$34.96 R 563

106.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.75 F CFA 12.3K

$12.46 R 201

74.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.88 F CFA 5,019

$7.62 R 123

16.54%

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

$371 F CFA 209.6K

$231 R 3,725

60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,825 F CFA 2.7M

$5,726 R 92.2K

-15.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 F CFA 53.3K

$56.4 R 908

67.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 F CFA 21.2K

$33.91 R 546

10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 F CFA 44.7K

$102 R 1,639

-22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 F CFA 82.7K

$93.0 R 1,497

57.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 F CFA 403.5K

$506 R 8,154

41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 F CFA 202.6K

$418 R 6,727

-14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 F CFA 1.5M

$979 R 15.8K

169.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 F CFA 581.5K

$838 R 13.5K

22.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 F CFA 1.3M

$1,151 R 18.5K

98.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$708 F CFA 400.1K

$800 R 12.9K

-11.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$228 F CFA 128.9K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-85.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

11.24

40.12%

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

Last update for Ivory Coast: September 6, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $224 in Ivory Coast vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 220% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 40% more in Ivory Coast.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 593% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 101% 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 101% 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.