Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome And Principe and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome And Principe and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $648 per month in Sao Tome And Principe vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,129 per month in Sao Tome And Principe vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,609 per month in Sao Tome And Principe vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Sao Tome And Principe is roughly 36% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Sao Tome And Principe and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Sao Tome And Principe 52% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Sao Tome And Principe has a wider regional cost range ($209–$1,087) than South Africa ($819–$1,339), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Sao Tome And Principe.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 STN 427

$9.05 R 147

124.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.40 STN 890

$39.48 R 642

7.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 STN 209

$4.94 R 80.3

101.42%

Cappuccino

$1.98 STN 41.55

$2.06 R 33.47

-3.88%

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

$1.93 STN 40.45

$0.95 R 15.40

103.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 STN 21.79

$0.81 R 13.13

28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 STN 34.00

$2.21 R 35.90

-26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 STN 38.62

$2.48 R 40.33

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 STN 29.07

$1.11 R 18.07

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 STN 32.38

$1.02 R 16.64

50.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 STN 38.82

$1.56 R 25.28

18.59%

Eggs

$4.37 STN 91.9

$2.34 R 38.05

86.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.68 STN 413

$7.73 R 126

154.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.28 STN 426

$4.49 R 73.1

351.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.30 STN 531

$6.73 R 109

275.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 STN 94.9

$1.56 R 25.40

189.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 STN 23.96

$1.43 R 23.22

-20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 STN 83.0

$1.44 R 23.48

174.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 STN 74.0

$1.51 R 24.55

133.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 STN 53.2

$1.22 R 19.81

107.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 STN 41.76

$1.28 R 20.74

55.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 STN 15.17

$1.04 R 16.89

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 STN 40.15

$0.94 R 15.21

103.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 STN 49.26

$2.99 R 48.55

-21.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 STN 172

$5.16 R 83.8

58.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 STN 26.84

$1.39 R 22.55

-7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 STN 27.86

$1.66 R 26.93

-19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 STN 26.43

$1.63 R 26.48

-22.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.25 STN 299

$4.86 R 78.9

193.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 STN 34.15

$1.24 R 20.15

31.45%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

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

$23.1K STN 484.8K

$23.5K R 381.4K

-1.64%

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

$113 R 1,843

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

$28.67 STN 602

$32.36 R 526

-11.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 STN 1,524

$41.45 R 674

75.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.58 STN 789

$31.59 R 513

18.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.44 STN 597

$9.61 R 156

195.94%

Cinema Ticket

$20.62 STN 433

$6.83 R 111

201.90%

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

$187 R 3,039

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.10 STN 401

$78.9 R 1,281

-75.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 STN 5,579

$442 R 7,175

-39.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 STN 4,025

$367 R 5,963

-47.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 STN 14.1K

$884 R 14.4K

-24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 STN 10.7K

$723 R 11.8K

-29.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,937 STN 40.7K

$1,090 R 17.7K

77.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,177 STN 24.7K

$780 R 12.7K

50.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$457 STN 9,595

$1,558 R 25.3K

-70.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

11.55

-36.10%

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

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $171 in Sao Tome And Principe vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $342 in Sao Tome and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $272 in Sao Tome And Principe 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 115% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 23% more in Sao Tome And Principe.

Salaries are 459% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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

Sao Tome And Principe vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome And Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 67% 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 Sao Tome And Principe, contributing to the overall 67% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sao Tome And Principe, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sao Tome And Principe 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.