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 $750 per month in Ivory Coast vs $1,021 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,189 per month in Ivory Coast vs $1,594 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,628 per month in Ivory Coast vs $2,167 in South Africa, rent included.

Ivory Coast is roughly 27% 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.

Ivory Coast has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,342) than South Africa ($804–$1,352), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Ivory Coast.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 F CFA 1,945

$9.20 R 152

-62.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 F CFA 34.1K

$38.46 R 633

58.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 F CFA 5,827

$5.11 R 84.2

103.72%

Cappuccino

$2.09 F CFA 1,172

$2.03 R 33.38

2.96%

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

$0.82 F CFA 459

$0.95 R 15.60

-13.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 480

$0.79 R 13.06

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 F CFA 575

$2.31 R 37.97

-55.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 F CFA 963

$2.46 R 40.48

-30.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 F CFA 1,368

$1.08 R 17.77

125.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 F CFA 357

$0.96 R 15.85

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 F CFA 630

$1.60 R 26.41

-29.38%

Eggs

$2.33 F CFA 1,301

$2.32 R 38.28

0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 F CFA 10.0K

$7.48 R 123

139.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 F CFA 4,602

$4.57 R 75.2

80.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 F CFA 3,612

$6.56 R 108

-1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 F CFA 2,009

$1.58 R 26.06

127.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 F CFA 621

$1.45 R 23.90

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 F CFA 1,148

$1.50 R 24.78

36.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,052

$1.55 R 25.45

21.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 F CFA 867

$1.26 R 20.83

23.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 F CFA 990

$1.29 R 21.23

37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 F CFA 495

$1.07 R 17.64

-17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 469

$0.90 R 14.87

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 F CFA 978

$2.92 R 48.11

-40.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 F CFA 3,644

$4.99 R 82.2

30.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 F CFA 615

$1.39 R 22.87

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 F CFA 798

$1.68 R 27.62

-14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 F CFA 482

$1.72 R 28.32

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.94 F CFA 27.4K

$45.17 R 744

8.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 F CFA 1,004

$1.11 R 18.27

61.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 F CFA 904

$1.06 R 17.48

52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.99 F CFA 15.1K

$4.84 R 79.8

457.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 F CFA 835

$1.24 R 20.47

20.16%

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

$31.7K F CFA 17.7M

$21.0K R 346.4K

50.76%

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

$29.1K F CFA 16.3M

$24.1K R 396.6K

20.84%

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

$181 F CFA 101.3K

$112 R 1,846

61.52%

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

$35.55 F CFA 19.9K

$31.87 R 525

11.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.68 F CFA 26.7K

$40.80 R 672

16.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 F CFA 44.5K

$31.46 R 518

152.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.06 F CFA 12.3K

$9.71 R 160

127.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 F CFA 4,843

$6.68 R 110

29.64%

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

$287 F CFA 160.5K

$192 R 3,159

49.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,306 F CFA 1.8M

$4,306 R 70.9K

-23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 F CFA 49.8K

$49.12 R 809

81.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 F CFA 30.4K

$30.89 R 509

75.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 F CFA 48.7K

$93.2 R 1,535

-6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 F CFA 80.8K

$78.6 R 1,295

83.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 F CFA 329.3K

$451 R 7,426

30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 F CFA 197.1K

$366 R 6,033

-3.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 F CFA 1.0M

$888 R 14.6K

109.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 F CFA 521.5K

$709 R 11.7K

31.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,310 F CFA 1.3M

$1,148 R 18.9K

101.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 F CFA 398.1K

$807 R 13.3K

-11.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 F CFA 113.4K

$1,467 R 24.2K

-86.18%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $153 in Ivory Coast vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $0 in Yamoussoukro and $762 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $207 in Ivory Coast vs $1,458 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 23% more in Ivory Coast.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 604% 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 61% 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 61% 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.