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: $1,340 in Niger versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,794 in Niger versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,248 in Niger versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Niger is roughly 31% more expensive than in South Africa on average.

Niger (0% above) and South Africa (24% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Niger: monthly costs span $1,340 to $1,340, compared to $803–$1,362 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Niger.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 F CFA 2,992

$9.14 R 150

-42.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.36 F CFA 23.1K

$39.14 R 643

3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 F CFA 6,121

$5.19 R 85.3

105.78%

Cappuccino

$3.27 F CFA 1,874

$1.98 R 32.50

65.15%

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

$1.46 F CFA 835

$1.00 R 16.45

46.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 370

$0.79 R 12.92

-17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 F CFA 778

$2.21 R 36.36

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 F CFA 1,818

$2.57 R 42.28

23.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 F CFA 1,395

$1.12 R 18.43

117.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 F CFA 346

$0.97 R 15.90

-38.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 F CFA 731

$1.54 R 25.37

-16.88%

Eggs

$2.34 F CFA 1,340

$2.25 R 36.96

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 129

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 F CFA 4,238

$4.58 R 75.3

61.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 F CFA 4,439

$6.68 R 110

16.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 F CFA 2,563

$1.57 R 25.88

184.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 F CFA 863

$1.47 R 24.18

2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 F CFA 1,695

$1.52 R 25.00

94.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 F CFA 1,150

$1.51 R 24.81

33.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 F CFA 850

$1.26 R 20.71

17.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 F CFA 425

$1.27 R 20.96

-41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 F CFA 489

$1.09 R 17.86

-22.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 F CFA 758

$0.97 R 15.93

36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 F CFA 1,551

$2.84 R 46.62

-4.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 F CFA 8,001

$5.20 R 85.5

168.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 761

$1.38 R 22.74

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 F CFA 1,297

$1.72 R 28.24

31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 F CFA 365

$1.72 R 28.30

-62.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 F CFA 14.9K

$44.22 R 727

-41.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 F CFA 261

$1.15 R 18.93

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 F CFA 236

$1.07 R 17.51

-61.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 F CFA 3,526

$4.74 R 77.8

29.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 F CFA 595

$1.28 R 21.09

-18.75%

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

$21.0K F CFA 12.0M

$20.4K R 334.8K

2.87%

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

$24.7K F CFA 14.2M

$24.0K R 394.3K

3.11%

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

$357 F CFA 204.7K

$113 R 1,856

216.46%

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

$17.88 F CFA 10.2K

$32.35 R 532

-44.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.74 F CFA 5,007

$41.46 R 682

-78.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 F CFA 36.0K

$31.04 R 510

102.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.02 F CFA 5,170

$9.72 R 160

-7.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 F CFA 2,710

$6.67 R 110

-29.09%

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

$984 F CFA 564.0K

$186 R 3,051

430.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,914 F CFA 2.8M

$4,399 R 72.3K

11.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.90 F CFA 25.1K

$50.2 R 824

-12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 F CFA 29.8K

$30.37 R 499

71.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.44 F CFA 22.6K

$93.4 R 1,535

-57.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.92 F CFA 28.0K

$80.4 R 1,322

-39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 F CFA 559.3K

$439 R 7,210

122.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 F CFA 247.8K

$372 R 6,112

16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 F CFA 512.0K

$903 R 14.8K

-0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 F CFA 261.0K

$705 R 11.6K

-35.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 F CFA 989.7K

$1,116 R 18.3K

54.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$985 F CFA 564.4K

$793 R 13.0K

24.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 F CFA 226.2K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-73.78%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $989 in Niger, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $989 in Niamey vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $388 in Niger, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 169% higher in Niger.

Dining out costs 14% more in Niger.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Niger.

Salaries are 290% 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 $1,340 per month in Niger and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 24% 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, $1,500 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.