Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Republic of the Congo and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,203 a month against $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in the Republic of the Congo
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Republic of the Congo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,657

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Republic of the Congo and in South Africa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Republic of the Congo and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Republic of the Congo $1,657
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in the Republic of the Congo versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Republic of the Congo $2,576
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in the Republic of the Congo versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Republic of the Congo $3,496
South Africa $2,583

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $1,944–$1,944 in the Republic of the Congo. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in the Republic of the Congo is roughly 38% more expensive than in South Africa on average.

The Republic of the Congo (22% above) and South Africa (12% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 FCFA 4,900

$10.67 R 177

-22.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.70 FCFA 22.2K

$41.66 R 693

-9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 FCFA 2,986

$5.80 R 96.5

-12.59%

Cappuccino

$4.09 FCFA 2,408

$2.36 R 39.23

73.31%

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

$1.60 FCFA 943

$1.12 R 18.56

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 769

$0.90 R 15.00

45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 FCFA 3,395

$2.42 R 40.20

138.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 FCFA 1,465

$3.06 R 50.9

-18.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 FCFA 1,527

$1.18 R 19.58

119.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 FCFA 2,733

$1.13 R 18.83

310.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 FCFA 1,852

$1.74 R 28.90

80.46%

Eggs

$2.45 FCFA 1,442

$2.57 R 42.80

-4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 FCFA 9,499

$8.43 R 140

91.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 FCFA 4,131

$5.12 R 85.1

36.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 FCFA 7,147

$7.59 R 126

59.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 FCFA 1,735

$1.77 R 29.52

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 FCFA 975

$1.74 R 28.90

-4.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 FCFA 2,038

$1.77 R 29.43

95.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 FCFA 2,402

$1.76 R 29.26

131.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 FCFA 1,828

$1.49 R 24.81

108.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 FCFA 1,404

$1.47 R 24.38

61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 FCFA 758

$1.23 R 20.52

4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 FCFA 523

$1.10 R 18.25

-19.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 FCFA 2,268

$3.24 R 54.0

18.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 FCFA 4,724

$5.00 R 83.2

60.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 FCFA 616

$1.50 R 24.90

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 FCFA 1,015

$1.94 R 32.26

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 FCFA 160

$1.48 R 24.58

-81.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.87 FCFA 14.1K

$59.3 R 986

-59.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 FCFA 972

$1.09 R 18.21

51.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 FCFA 988

$0.99 R 16.46

69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 FCFA 4,124

$7.46 R 124

-6.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 FCFA 792

$1.43 R 23.76

-6.29%

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

$29.0K FCFA 17.1M

$35.3K R 587.4K

-17.97%

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

$21.2K FCFA 12.5M

$32.4K R 539.7K

-34.55%

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

$603 FCFA 355.2K

$133 R 2,208

354.36%

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

$29.07 FCFA 17.1K

$34.83 R 580

-16.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 FCFA 24.9K

$39.76 R 662

6.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.60 FCFA 19.8K

$33.09 R 551

1.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.05 FCFA 10.0K

$11.65 R 194

46.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 FCFA 3,632

$7.18 R 119

-14.07%

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

$53.4 FCFA 31.5K

$224 R 3,728

-76.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.07 FCFA 27.1K

$54.2 R 902

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.10 FCFA 27.7K

$34.13 R 568

38.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 FCFA 68.2K

$102 R 1,699

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 FCFA 66.8K

$88.5 R 1,472

28.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 FCFA 472.3K

$492 R 8,189

62.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 FCFA 148.4K

$398 R 6,617

-36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,675 FCFA 1.6M

$946 R 15.7K

182.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 FCFA 583.3K

$827 R 13.8K

19.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 FCFA 2.0M

$1,099 R 18.3K

214.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,944 FCFA 1.7M

$769 R 12.8K

282.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 FCFA 220.6K

$1,502 R 25.0K

-75.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.51

11.23

-15.32%

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

Last update for the Republic of the Congo: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Republic of the Congo

$674 40.7%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 69.3% $467

Groceries & Markets

Republic of the Congo

$328 19.8%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 40.3% $132

Accommodation & Living

Republic of the Congo

$252 15.2%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 57.9% $146

Eating Out

Republic of the Congo

$176 10.6%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 10.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Republic of the Congo

$145 8.8%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 13.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Republic of the Congo

$46 2.8%

South Africa

$47 4% 3.3% $1.5

Getting Around

Republic of the Congo

$35 2.1%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 104% $36

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo, $422 in South Africa. Capital cities: $1,149 in Brazzaville vs $450 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $453 in the Republic of the Congo, $1,488 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 172% higher in the Republic of the Congo.

Dining out costs 28% more in the Republic of the Congo.

Public transport is 154% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 3.3 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

06:40 6:40 AM

1 h ahead of the Republic of the Congo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,142,180

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 657 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Republic of the Congo South Africa 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Republic of the Congo
South Africa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Republic of the Congo vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,657 per month in the Republic of the Congo and $1,203 in South Africa, there’s a 38% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo and $422 in South Africa. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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