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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $631 per month in Liberia vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $956 per month in Liberia vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,280 per month in Liberia vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Liberia is roughly 45% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Liberia and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Liberia 54% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 LRD 1,285

$11.30 R 182

-34.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 LRD 1,763

$5.90 R 95.0

72.20%

Cappuccino

$3.03 LRD 526

$2.44 R 39.22

24.18%

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

$2.06 LRD 357

$1.16 R 18.64

77.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 LRD 345

$0.96 R 15.39

107.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 LRD 350

$2.56 R 41.29

-21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LRD 533

$3.08 R 49.60

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 LRD 363

$1.28 R 20.57

63.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 LRD 316

$1.13 R 18.15

61.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 LRD 918

$1.83 R 29.55

189.07%

Eggs

$3.71 LRD 643

$2.55 R 41.12

45.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 LRD 1,306

$8.35 R 134

-9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 LRD 2,040

$5.44 R 87.6

115.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 LRD 2,361

$7.88 R 127

72.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 LRD 291

$1.90 R 30.61

-11.58%

Banana (1kg)

$8.42 LRD 1,462

$1.70 R 27.36

395.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.39 LRD 1,804

$1.81 R 29.14

474.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.88 LRD 1,888

$1.88 R 30.23

478.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 LRD 372

$1.54 R 24.76

38.96%

Onion (1kg)

$10.71 LRD 1,859

$1.49 R 24.03

618.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.78 LRD 829

$1.33 R 21.45

259.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 LRD 343

$1.19 R 19.09

66.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 LRD 853

$3.41 R 55.0

43.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 LRD 1,203

$5.08 R 81.7

36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 LRD 443

$1.51 R 24.28

68.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 LRD 620

$2.03 R 32.64

75.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 LRD 527

$1.76 R 28.39

72.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.83 LRD 2,228

$63.1 R 1,016

-79.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 LRD 342

$1.12 R 17.97

75.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 LRD 330

$1.01 R 16.33

88.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.34 LRD 4,399

$8.07 R 130

214.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 LRD 221

$1.46 R 23.53

-13.01%

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

$20.2K LRD 3.5M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-45.04%

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

$15.1K LRD 2.6M

$32.5K R 523.6K

-53.69%

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

$151 LRD 26.2K

$136 R 2,185

11.10%

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

$22.72 LRD 3,944

$35.72 R 575

-36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$184 LRD 31.9K

$41.40 R 667

343.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 LRD 10.9K

$34.96 R 563

80.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 LRD 1,703

$12.46 R 201

-21.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 LRD 861

$7.62 R 123

-34.91%

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

$99.8 LRD 17.3K

$231 R 3,725

-56.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$990 LRD 171.9K

$5,726 R 92.2K

-82.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.86 LRD 4,316

$56.4 R 908

-55.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 LRD 5,660

$33.91 R 546

-3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 LRD 9,626

$102 R 1,639

-45.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 LRD 16.0K

$93.0 R 1,497

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 LRD 43.5K

$506 R 8,154

-50.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.5 LRD 16.4K

$418 R 6,727

-77.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 LRD 115.0K

$979 R 15.8K

-32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LRD 46.7K

$838 R 13.5K

-67.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$694 LRD 120.5K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-55.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

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

Last update for Liberia: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $127 in Liberia vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $254 in Monrovia and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $689 in Liberia 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 250% higher in South Africa.

Public transport is 70% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 125% 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

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

Liberia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 95% 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 Liberia, contributing to the overall 95% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Liberia 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.