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 $696 per month in Liberia vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,235 per month in Liberia vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,773 per month in Liberia vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Liberia is roughly 32% cheaper than 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 48% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 LRD 1,383

$9.05 R 147

-15.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 LRD 26.9K

$39.48 R 642

274.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 LRD 1,997

$4.94 R 80.3

122.47%

Cappuccino

$3.25 LRD 591

$2.06 R 33.47

57.77%

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

$2.05 LRD 373

$0.95 R 15.40

115.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 LRD 493

$0.81 R 13.13

234.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 LRD 509

$2.21 R 35.90

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LRD 539

$2.48 R 40.33

19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 LRD 390

$1.11 R 18.07

93.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 328

$1.02 R 16.64

77.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 LRD 912

$1.56 R 25.28

221.79%

Eggs

$3.63 LRD 660

$2.34 R 38.05

55.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 LRD 2,181

$7.73 R 126

55.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 LRD 2,182

$4.49 R 73.1

167.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.94 LRD 6,531

$6.73 R 109

434.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 LRD 292

$1.56 R 25.40

3.21%

Banana (1kg)

$8.37 LRD 1,521

$1.43 R 23.22

485.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.40 LRD 1,889

$1.44 R 23.48

622.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.98 LRD 1,996

$1.51 R 24.55

627.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 LRD 421

$1.22 R 19.81

90.16%

Onion (1kg)

$10.57 LRD 1,920

$1.28 R 20.74

725.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.75 LRD 862

$1.04 R 16.89

356.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 LRD 371

$0.94 R 15.21

117.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 LRD 913

$2.99 R 48.55

67.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 LRD 1,236

$5.16 R 83.8

31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 LRD 463

$1.39 R 22.55

83.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 LRD 595

$1.66 R 26.93

97.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 LRD 533

$1.63 R 26.48

80.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 LRD 2,282

$45.05 R 732

-72.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 LRD 491

$1.13 R 18.41

138.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 LRD 221

$1.10 R 17.93

10.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.75 LRD 3,224

$4.86 R 78.9

265.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 LRD 222

$1.24 R 20.15

-1.61%

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

$12.6K LRD 2.3M

$20.3K R 330.2K

-37.96%

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

$14.8K LRD 2.7M

$23.5K R 381.4K

-36.75%

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

$269 LRD 48.8K

$113 R 1,843

136.77%

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

$22.92 LRD 4,164

$32.36 R 526

-29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.8 LRD 17.0K

$41.45 R 674

126.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.7 LRD 13.7K

$31.59 R 513

139.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.19 LRD 1,489

$9.61 R 156

-14.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 LRD 1,765

$6.83 R 111

42.17%

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

$131 LRD 23.9K

$187 R 3,039

-29.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$879 LRD 159.6K

$4,362 R 70.9K

-79.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.33 LRD 3,331

$49.50 R 804

-62.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 LRD 6,108

$30.42 R 494

10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 LRD 10.1K

$91.7 R 1,489

-39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 LRD 12.7K

$78.9 R 1,281

-11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 LRD 119.2K

$442 R 7,175

48.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 LRD 17.1K

$367 R 5,963

-74.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 LRD 335.3K

$884 R 14.4K

108.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 LRD 47.6K

$723 R 11.8K

-63.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 LRD 128.0K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-54.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-56.71%

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

Last update for Liberia: June 2, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $333 in Liberia vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $666 in Monrovia and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $705 in Liberia vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 114% more in Liberia.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 116% 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

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

Liberia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 55% 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 55% 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.