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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $534 in Namibia versus $1,019 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $776 in Namibia versus $1,585 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Namibia versus $2,151 in South Africa.

Living in Namibia costs about 48% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Namibia 60% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Namibia: monthly costs span $8.00 to $1,122, compared to $804–$1,332 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Namibia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.05 NAD 165

$8.98 R 147

11.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.07 NAD 558

$38.92 R 638

-12.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NAD 77.8

$5.09 R 83.4

-6.68%

Cappuccino

$1.69 NAD 27.66

$1.97 R 32.34

-14.21%

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

$0.99 NAD 16.25

$0.96 R 15.66

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.65

$0.79 R 13.03

20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 NAD 22.17

$2.27 R 37.17

-40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 NAD 25.37

$2.47 R 40.43

-37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 NAD 22.68

$1.12 R 18.29

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 NAD 13.22

$0.96 R 15.75

-15.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 NAD 26.71

$1.57 R 25.68

3.82%

Eggs

$2.72 NAD 44.56

$2.36 R 38.64

15.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 NAD 122

$7.50 R 123

-0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 NAD 82.2

$4.66 R 76.4

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 NAD 108

$6.68 R 110

-1.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 NAD 31.85

$1.57 R 25.80

23.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 NAD 31.82

$1.41 R 23.15

37.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 NAD 29.75

$1.47 R 24.03

23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 NAD 29.91

$1.49 R 24.44

22.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 NAD 28.78

$1.26 R 20.66

39.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 NAD 28.16

$1.34 R 21.96

28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 NAD 29.83

$1.03 R 16.92

76.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NAD 17.67

$0.92 R 15.11

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 NAD 45.45

$2.90 R 47.51

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 NAD 112

$5.14 R 84.3

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NAD 20.71

$1.39 R 22.74

-9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 NAD 29.00

$1.67 R 27.44

5.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NAD 12.36

$1.69 R 27.76

-55.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.79 NAD 668

$45.44 R 745

-10.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 NAD 11.33

$1.14 R 18.77

-39.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NAD 12.71

$1.07 R 17.51

-27.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 NAD 190

$4.88 R 80.0

137.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 NAD 19.09

$1.29 R 21.12

-10.08%

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

$21.1K NAD 346.2K

$21.1K R 345.3K

0.31%

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

$23.5K NAD 385.1K

$24.0K R 393.3K

-2.04%

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

$114 NAD 1,860

$111 R 1,820

2.28%

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

$17.50 NAD 287

$33.07 R 542

-47.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 NAD 893

$41.55 R 681

31.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 NAD 614

$30.98 R 508

20.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.96 NAD 212

$9.32 R 153

39.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 NAD 91.9

$6.58 R 108

-14.74%

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

$198 NAD 3,242

$192 R 3,154

2.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,228 NAD 85.7K

$4,342 R 71.2K

20.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.01 NAD 803

$48.43 R 794

1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.39 NAD 482

$31.28 R 513

-6.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 NAD 1,263

$95.0 R 1,557

-18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 NAD 1,124

$79.6 R 1,305

-13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 NAD 7,467

$441 R 7,224

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 NAD 5,882

$363 R 5,948

-1.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NAD 18.7K

$900 R 14.8K

26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 NAD 13.0K

$715 R 11.7K

11.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,360 NAD 22.3K

$1,110 R 18.2K

22.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$403 NAD 6,601

$788 R 12.9K

-48.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 NAD 16.6K

$1,483 R 24.3K

-31.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.36

11.55

-1.65%

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

Last update for Namibia: July 21, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $177 in Namibia, $369 in South Africa. Capital cities: $500 in Windhoek vs $410 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $1,003 in Namibia, $1,522 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 167% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 52% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Namibia.

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

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

At $565 per month in Namibia and $1,068 in South Africa, there's a 89% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Namibia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Namibia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Namibia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Namibia wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.