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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $956 per month in Reunion vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Reunion vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Reunion vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Reunion is roughly 6% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Reunion and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Reunion 28% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 €15.48

$9.14 R 150

93.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 €65.6

$39.14 R 643

91.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.10 €12.32

$5.19 R 85.3

171.68%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.71

$1.98 R 32.50

56.57%

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

$3.86 €3.37

$1.00 R 16.45

286.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.55

$0.79 R 12.92

269.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 €3.97

$2.21 R 36.36

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.03

$2.57 R 42.28

79.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.12 R 18.43

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 €2.72

$0.97 R 15.90

221.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.54 R 25.37

40.26%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.12

$2.25 R 36.96

109.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.80 €20.79

$7.86 R 129

202.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 €12.24

$4.58 R 75.3

205.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.41 €20.45

$6.68 R 110

250.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.52

$1.57 R 25.88

84.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.47 R 24.18

43.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.50

$1.52 R 25.00

88.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.78

$1.51 R 24.81

110.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.26 R 20.71

101.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.27 R 20.96

72.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.09 R 17.86

44.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$0.97 R 15.93

29.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 €12.71

$2.84 R 46.62

412.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.81

$5.20 R 85.5

71.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.38 R 22.74

62.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.17

$1.72 R 28.24

111.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.72 R 28.30

37.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.92 €39.24

$44.22 R 727

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.28 R 21.09

68.75%

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

$37.3K €32.6K

$20.4K R 334.8K

83.18%

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

$32.0K €27.9K

$24.0K R 394.3K

33.33%

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

$114 €99.6

$113 R 1,856

0.98%

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

$13.30 €11.62

$32.35 R 532

-58.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 €46.57

$41.46 R 682

28.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 €31.20

$31.04 R 510

15.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 €11.97

$9.72 R 160

40.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 €10.04

$6.67 R 110

72.26%

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

$85.8 €74.9

$186 R 3,051

-53.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €105

$50.2 R 824

138.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €33.14

$30.37 R 499

24.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €103

$93.4 R 1,535

26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$80.4 R 1,322

68.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €831

$439 R 7,210

116.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 €605

$372 R 6,112

86.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,388

$903 R 14.8K

76.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €918

$705 R 11.6K

49.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,350 €2,927

$1,116 R 18.3K

200.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,044 €2,660

$793 R 13.0K

283.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,874

$1,506 R 24.8K

42.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-65.37%

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

Last update for Reunion: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $506 in Reunion vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $867 in Saint-Pierre and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $1,959 in Reunion vs $1,513 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in Reunion.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Reunion.

Salaries are 29% higher in Reunion, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Reunion.

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

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

Reunion is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 20% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Reunion, contributing to the overall 20% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Reunion, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Reunion is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.