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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,372 in Niger versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,807 in Niger versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,241 in Niger versus $2,175 in South Africa.

Living in Niger is roughly 35% more expensive than South Africa on average.

Niger (2% above) and South Africa (24% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Niger: monthly costs span $1,372 to $1,372, compared to $819–$1,339 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Niger.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 F CFA 3,008

$9.05 R 147

-41.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.37 F CFA 22.2K

$39.48 R 642

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 F CFA 6,059

$4.94 R 80.3

117.41%

Cappuccino

$3.16 F CFA 1,780

$2.06 R 33.47

53.40%

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

$1.44 F CFA 810

$0.95 R 15.40

51.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 F CFA 385

$0.81 R 13.13

-16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 F CFA 764

$2.21 R 35.90

-38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 F CFA 1,727

$2.48 R 40.33

23.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 F CFA 1,421

$1.11 R 18.07

127.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 F CFA 321

$1.02 R 16.64

-44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 F CFA 705

$1.56 R 25.28

-19.87%

Eggs

$2.37 F CFA 1,338

$2.34 R 38.05

1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 F CFA 4,205

$4.49 R 73.1

66.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.83 F CFA 4,418

$6.73 R 109

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 F CFA 2,481

$1.56 R 25.40

182.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 F CFA 814

$1.43 R 23.22

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 F CFA 1,637

$1.44 R 23.48

101.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

$1.51 R 24.55

33.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 F CFA 822

$1.22 R 19.81

19.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 F CFA 383

$1.28 R 20.74

-46.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 F CFA 489

$1.04 R 16.89

-16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 F CFA 774

$0.94 R 15.21

45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 F CFA 1,472

$2.99 R 48.55

-12.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 F CFA 7,912

$5.16 R 83.8

171.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 F CFA 778

$1.39 R 22.55

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 F CFA 1,266

$1.66 R 26.93

35.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 F CFA 337

$1.63 R 26.48

-63.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 F CFA 15.2K

$45.05 R 732

-40.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 F CFA 260

$1.13 R 18.41

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 F CFA 218

$1.10 R 17.93

-64.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 F CFA 3,518

$4.86 R 78.9

28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 F CFA 551

$1.24 R 20.15

-20.97%

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

$21.1K F CFA 11.9M

$20.3K R 330.2K

4.02%

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

$24.9K F CFA 14.0M

$23.5K R 381.4K

5.95%

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

$352 F CFA 198.3K

$113 R 1,843

210.05%

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

$17.36 F CFA 9,791

$32.36 R 526

-46.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 F CFA 5,051

$41.45 R 674

-78.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 F CFA 36.2K

$31.59 R 513

102.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.59 F CFA 4,847

$9.61 R 156

-10.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 F CFA 2,795

$6.83 R 111

-27.38%

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

$1,006 F CFA 567.3K

$187 R 3,039

437.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,768 F CFA 2.7M

$4,362 R 70.9K

9.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.78 F CFA 25.3K

$49.50 R 804

-9.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 F CFA 30.4K

$30.42 R 494

77.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.83 F CFA 22.5K

$91.7 R 1,489

-56.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.99 F CFA 27.6K

$78.9 R 1,281

-37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 F CFA 543.2K

$442 R 7,175

118.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 F CFA 247.0K

$367 R 5,963

19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 F CFA 504.7K

$884 R 14.4K

1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 F CFA 258.8K

$723 R 11.8K

-36.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,778 F CFA 1.0M

$1,090 R 17.7K

63.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 F CFA 560.5K

$780 R 12.7K

27.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$402 F CFA 226.8K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-74.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-4.76%

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

Last update for Niger: May 30, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $971 in Niger, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $971 in Niamey vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $402 in Niger, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 164% higher in Niger.

Dining out costs 14% more in Niger.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in Niger.

Salaries are 278% 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

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

At $1,372 per month in Niger and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 27% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

South Africa 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 Niger beats South Africa across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Africa, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In Niger, 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. South Africa wins on affordability; Niger may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.