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 $949 per month in Reunion vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,444 per month in Reunion vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,939 per month in Reunion vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Reunion is roughly 7% cheaper than 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 29% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 €15.70

$9.05 R 147

101.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €64.3

$39.48 R 642

89.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.72 €11.80

$4.94 R 80.3

177.73%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.80

$2.06 R 33.47

57.77%

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

$3.82 €3.29

$0.95 R 15.40

302.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$0.81 R 13.13

249.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.00

$2.21 R 35.90

110.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 €4.09

$2.48 R 40.33

91.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.11 R 18.07

10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 €2.75

$1.02 R 16.64

213.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.56 R 25.28

34.62%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.22

$2.34 R 38.05

109.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.56 €20.27

$7.73 R 126

204.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.32 €12.32

$4.49 R 73.1

218.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.84 €19.64

$6.73 R 109

239.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.56 R 25.40

92.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.43 R 23.22

52.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.44 R 23.48

97.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.51 R 24.55

113.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$1.22 R 19.81

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.28 R 20.74

72.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.04 R 16.89

57.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.94 R 15.21

30.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.53 €12.50

$2.99 R 48.55

385.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.24

$5.16 R 83.8

85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.99

$1.39 R 22.55

66.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.66 R 26.93

115.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.63 R 26.48

44.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.68 €39.29

$45.05 R 732

1.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.24 R 20.15

73.39%

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

$36.6K €31.5K

$20.3K R 330.2K

80.09%

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

$31.1K €26.7K

$23.5K R 381.4K

32.37%

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

$115 €99.0

$113 R 1,843

1.47%

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

$13.16 €11.32

$32.36 R 526

-59.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 €46.29

$41.45 R 674

29.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.24 €31.17

$31.59 R 513

14.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 €12.14

$9.61 R 156

46.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 €10.13

$6.83 R 111

72.47%

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

$87.6 €75.3

$187 R 3,039

-53.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €102

$49.50 R 804

138.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.41 €32.18

$30.42 R 494

22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €101

$91.7 R 1,489

28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$78.9 R 1,281

73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €818

$442 R 7,175

115.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €602

$367 R 5,963

90.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,348

$884 R 14.4K

77.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 €937

$723 R 11.8K

50.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,457 €2,974

$1,090 R 17.7K

217.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,069 €2,640

$780 R 12.7K

293.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,175 €1,871

$1,558 R 25.3K

39.66%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $511 in Reunion vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $890 in Saint-Pierre and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $2,000 in Reunion vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in Reunion.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Reunion.

Salaries are 32% higher in Reunion, giving Reunion 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

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.