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 $1,143 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Niger versus $1,781 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Niger versus $2,419 in South Africa.

Living in Niger is roughly 20% more expensive than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Niger 1% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Niger: monthly costs span $1,372 to $1,372, compared to $647–$1,815 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Niger.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 F CFA 3,720

$11.30 R 182

-41.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.29 F CFA 22.2K

$44.51 R 717

-11.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 F CFA 5,364

$5.90 R 95.0

60.85%

Cappuccino

$3.22 F CFA 1,817

$2.44 R 39.22

31.97%

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

$1.44 F CFA 815

$1.16 R 18.64

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 F CFA 552

$0.96 R 15.39

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 F CFA 735

$2.56 R 41.29

-49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 F CFA 1,774

$3.08 R 49.60

1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 F CFA 1,385

$1.28 R 20.57

91.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 F CFA 303

$1.13 R 18.15

-52.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 F CFA 1,014

$1.83 R 29.55

-2.19%

Eggs

$2.29 F CFA 1,296

$2.55 R 41.12

-10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 F CFA 3,593

$5.44 R 87.6

16.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 F CFA 4,554

$7.88 R 127

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 F CFA 1,969

$1.90 R 30.61

83.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 F CFA 955

$1.70 R 27.36

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 F CFA 1,660

$1.81 R 29.14

62.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 982

$1.88 R 30.23

-7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 F CFA 848

$1.54 R 24.76

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 F CFA 395

$1.49 R 24.03

-53.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 F CFA 526

$1.33 R 21.45

-30.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 F CFA 581

$1.19 R 19.09

-13.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 F CFA 1,531

$3.41 R 55.0

-20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 F CFA 8,036

$5.08 R 81.7

179.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 F CFA 790

$1.51 R 24.28

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 F CFA 2,036

$2.03 R 32.64

77.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 F CFA 189

$1.76 R 28.39

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 F CFA 257

$1.12 R 17.97

-58.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 F CFA 206

$1.01 R 16.33

-64.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 F CFA 5,095

$8.07 R 130

11.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 F CFA 539

$1.46 R 23.53

-34.93%

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

$21.3K F CFA 12.0M

$36.8K R 592.8K

-42.12%

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

$24.8K F CFA 14.0M

$32.5K R 523.6K

-23.84%

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

$177 F CFA 100.0K

$136 R 2,185

30.41%

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

$17.51 F CFA 9,893

$35.72 R 575

-50.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 F CFA 49.7K

$41.40 R 667

112.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 F CFA 42.7K

$34.96 R 563

116.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

Cinema Ticket

$5.48 F CFA 3,094

$7.62 R 123

-28.08%

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

$1,081 F CFA 610.6K

$231 R 3,725

367.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,396 F CFA 2.5M

$5,726 R 92.2K

-23.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 F CFA 40.6K

$56.4 R 908

27.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.0 F CFA 49.2K

$33.91 R 546

156.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.4 F CFA 30.2K

$102 R 1,639

-47.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 F CFA 39.5K

$93.0 R 1,497

-24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 F CFA 555.5K

$506 R 8,154

94.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 F CFA 304.1K

$418 R 6,727

28.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 F CFA 470.4K

$979 R 15.8K

-14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 F CFA 243.5K

$838 R 13.5K

-48.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 F CFA 975.7K

$1,151 R 18.5K

49.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 F CFA 573.3K

$800 R 12.9K

26.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 F CFA 227.6K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-74.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-19.93%

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

Last update for Niger: September 7, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $988 in Niger, $445 in South Africa. Capital cities: $988 in Niamey vs $324 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $399 in Niger, $1,553 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 122% higher in Niger.

Salaries are 289% 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

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

At $1,372 per month in Niger and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 11% 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 South Africa: 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 is consistently higher than in 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, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Niger 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: South Africa wins on affordability; Niger may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.