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: $530 in Namibia versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $764 in Namibia versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $998 in Namibia versus $2,175 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 $1,108, compared to $819–$1,339 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Namibia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 NAD 167

$9.05 R 150

11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.55 NAD 572

$39.48 R 654

-12.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 NAD 80.4

$4.94 R 81.8

-1.62%

Cappuccino

$1.75 NAD 28.92

$2.06 R 34.11

-15.05%

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

$0.99 NAD 16.39

$0.95 R 15.69

4.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 NAD 14.69

$0.81 R 13.39

9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 NAD 23.51

$2.21 R 36.59

-35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 NAD 25.66

$2.48 R 41.11

-37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 NAD 22.83

$1.11 R 18.41

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 NAD 13.31

$1.02 R 16.96

-21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 NAD 27.04

$1.56 R 25.77

4.49%

Eggs

$2.60 NAD 43.04

$2.34 R 38.78

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 NAD 124

$7.73 R 128

-3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 NAD 79.7

$4.49 R 74.5

7.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 NAD 113

$6.73 R 111

1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 NAD 30.42

$1.56 R 25.88

17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NAD 31.36

$1.43 R 23.67

32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 NAD 30.65

$1.44 R 23.93

28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 NAD 29.58

$1.51 R 25.02

18.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 NAD 29.76

$1.22 R 20.19

47.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 NAD 28.71

$1.28 R 21.14

35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 NAD 29.95

$1.04 R 17.22

74.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NAD 17.86

$0.94 R 15.50

14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 NAD 46.74

$2.99 R 49.48

-5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 NAD 111

$5.16 R 85.4

30.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NAD 19.83

$1.39 R 22.98

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NAD 28.61

$1.66 R 27.44

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NAD 12.22

$1.63 R 26.99

-54.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.96 NAD 678

$45.05 R 746

-9.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 NAD 11.67

$1.13 R 18.76

-38.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NAD 12.95

$1.10 R 18.27

-29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 NAD 197

$4.86 R 80.4

144.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 NAD 19.42

$1.24 R 20.53

-5.65%

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

$21.1K NAD 349.0K

$20.3K R 336.5K

3.77%

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

$23.2K NAD 383.7K

$23.5K R 388.7K

-1.22%

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

$115 NAD 1,901

$113 R 1,879

1.26%

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

$17.71 NAD 293

$32.36 R 536

-45.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 NAD 908

$41.45 R 687

32.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.19 NAD 599

$31.59 R 523

14.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.55 NAD 208

$9.61 R 159

30.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.55 NAD 91.9

$6.83 R 113

-18.74%

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

$192 NAD 3,180

$187 R 3,097

2.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 NAD 85.9K

$4,362 R 72.2K

19.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.78 NAD 791

$49.50 R 820

-3.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 NAD 483

$30.42 R 504

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 NAD 1,259

$91.7 R 1,518

-17.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 NAD 1,154

$78.9 R 1,306

-11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 NAD 7,794

$442 R 7,313

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 NAD 5,984

$367 R 6,077

-1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NAD 18.9K

$884 R 14.6K

29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 NAD 13.4K

$723 R 12.0K

12.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 NAD 23.2K

$1,090 R 18.1K

28.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$405 NAD 6,695

$780 R 12.9K

-48.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$999 NAD 16.5K

$1,558 R 25.8K

-35.84%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $175 in Namibia, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $490 in Windhoek vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $1,037 in Namibia, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 110% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 167% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 47% higher in South Africa, giving Namibia 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

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

At $558 per month in Namibia and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 93% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Namibia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.