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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $832 in Senegal versus $1,137 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,329 in Senegal versus $1,773 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,826 in Senegal versus $2,408 in South Africa.

Living in Senegal costs about 27% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Senegal 39% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Senegal ($159–$1,463) and South Africa ($633–$1,817) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 F CFA 2,676

$11.22 R 182

-58.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 F CFA 32.2K

$42.86 R 697

32.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.61 F CFA 6,593

$5.77 R 93.8

101.21%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 1,948

$2.41 R 39.24

42.32%

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

$1.41 F CFA 802

$1.19 R 19.41

18.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 F CFA 412

$0.87 R 14.22

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 F CFA 1,463

$2.40 R 39.08

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 F CFA 2,480

$2.99 R 48.68

46.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 F CFA 1,547

$1.25 R 20.33

117.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 F CFA 381

$1.10 R 17.84

-39.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 F CFA 922

$1.77 R 28.73

-8.47%

Eggs

$2.51 F CFA 1,427

$2.51 R 40.84

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.92 F CFA 10.2K

$8.46 R 138

111.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 F CFA 5,293

$5.41 R 88.0

72.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.52 F CFA 6,541

$7.94 R 129

45.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 F CFA 1,885

$1.82 R 29.56

82.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 F CFA 1,179

$1.69 R 27.41

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 F CFA 1,742

$1.73 R 28.15

77.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 F CFA 968

$1.77 R 28.79

-3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 F CFA 876

$1.47 R 23.91

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 F CFA 593

$1.46 R 23.83

-28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 F CFA 662

$1.25 R 20.41

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 398

$1.16 R 18.82

-39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 F CFA 1,234

$3.31 R 53.9

-34.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.30 F CFA 9,824

$4.88 R 79.3

254.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 F CFA 873

$1.53 R 24.85

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 F CFA 1,970

$2.05 R 33.30

69.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 F CFA 206

$1.69 R 27.43

-78.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.7 F CFA 45.3K

$62.8 R 1,021

27.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 F CFA 1,028

$1.08 R 17.52

67.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 F CFA 1,259

$0.94 R 15.35

136.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.79 F CFA 10.1K

$7.90 R 128

125.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 F CFA 945

$1.43 R 23.22

16.08%

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

$51.6K F CFA 29.3M

$36.6K R 595.6K

40.99%

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

$49.8K F CFA 28.3M

$31.1K R 506.2K

60.14%

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

$208 F CFA 118.2K

$131 R 2,133

58.79%

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

$12.36 F CFA 7,022

$35.38 R 576

-65.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.28 F CFA 27.4K

$41.24 R 671

17.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.88 F CFA 18.7K

$34.46 R 561

-4.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.21 F CFA 13.8K

$11.85 R 193

104.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 F CFA 5,112

$7.58 R 123

18.73%

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

$333 F CFA 189.1K

$231 R 3,766

43.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,139 F CFA 5.2M

$5,534 R 90.0K

65.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 F CFA 34.2K

$55.0 R 895

9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.40 F CFA 26.4K

$33.73 R 549

37.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 F CFA 49.6K

$100 R 1,631

-12.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 F CFA 57.3K

$91.5 R 1,488

10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 F CFA 451.8K

$501 R 8,154

58.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 F CFA 256.7K

$418 R 6,807

8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 F CFA 1.0M

$955 R 15.5K

90.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 F CFA 507.9K

$826 R 13.4K

8.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,072 F CFA 2.9M

$1,158 R 18.8K

338.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 F CFA 900.0K

$788 R 12.8K

101.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$350 F CFA 199.0K

$1,542 R 25.1K

-77.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

11.24

-22.15%

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

Last update for Senegal: September 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $581 in Senegal, $444 in South Africa. Capital cities: $848 in Dakar vs $320 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $344 in Senegal, $1,543 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Senegal.

Public transport is 59% more expensive in Senegal.

Salaries are 349% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

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

At $811 per month in Senegal and $1,225 in South Africa, there's a 51% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Senegal: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Senegal across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Senegal, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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