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 $719 per month in Reunion vs $1,144 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,190 per month in Reunion vs $1,780 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Reunion vs $2,415 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Reunion is roughly 37% 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 48% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.36 €8.06

$10.96 R 175

-14.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €88.8

$43.98 R 702

134.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 €13.18

$6.02 R 96.0

154.49%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.80

$2.46 R 39.20

32.11%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$1.15 R 18.27

179.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.23

$0.94 R 14.97

175.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.43

$2.51 R 40.03

105.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.11

$3.15 R 50.3

88.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.26 R 20.03

17.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 €2.61

$1.15 R 18.40

163.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 €2.86

$1.78 R 28.45

87.08%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.00

$2.63 R 41.97

76.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.23 €19.13

$8.31 R 133

167.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.12 €13.01

$5.34 R 85.1

183.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.35 €21.81

$7.81 R 125

224.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.90 R 30.27

65.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.70 R 27.09

21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.72 R 27.42

72.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 €6.10

$1.87 R 29.81

279.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.52 R 24.30

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$1.50 R 23.93

151.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.25 R 19.99

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.16 R 18.57

163.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.29 €11.44

$3.33 R 53.1

299.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.05

$5.18 R 82.6

58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 €2.99

$1.56 R 24.87

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.02 R 32.27

31.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.19

$1.84 R 29.34

38.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.53 €39.18

$61.3 R 978

-25.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 R 122

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.44 R 23.03

33.33%

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

$36.5K R 583.0K

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

$32.1K R 511.7K

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

$126 €108

$132 R 2,103

-4.79%

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

$16.99 €14.62

$35.05 R 559

-51.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.51 €39.17

$40.77 R 650

11.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.29 €32.95

$34.05 R 543

12.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.83 €11.90

$12.06 R 192

14.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 €9.87

$7.44 R 119

54.17%

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

$232 R 3,701

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,509 R 87.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 €139

$54.0 R 861

198.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 R 559

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 €119

$104 R 1,662

33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$89.0 R 1,420

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 €873

$498 R 7,947

103.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €637

$418 R 6,671

76.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 €1,699

$991 R 15.8K

99.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,134

$830 R 13.2K

58.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,136 R 18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$815 R 13.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,461 €2,117

$1,548 R 24.7K

58.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

-64.38%

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

Last update for Reunion: August 31, 2026

Last update for South Africa: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $446 in Reunion vs $432 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $858 in Saint-Denis and $333 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $2,130 in Reunion vs $1,547 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 21% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 38% 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 40% 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 40% 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.