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: $745 in Senegal versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,274 in Senegal versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Senegal versus $2,154 in South Africa.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Senegal 44% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Senegal: monthly costs span $135 to $1,318, compared to $803–$1,362 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Senegal.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.24 F CFA 3,001

$9.14 R 150

-42.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 F CFA 30.1K

$39.14 R 643

34.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 F CFA 5,802

$5.19 R 85.3

95.18%

Cappuccino

$4.50 F CFA 2,579

$1.98 R 32.50

127.27%

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

$1.04 F CFA 597

$1.00 R 16.45

4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 F CFA 505

$0.79 R 12.92

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 F CFA 1,536

$2.21 R 36.36

21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,462

$2.57 R 42.28

67.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 F CFA 1,525

$1.12 R 18.43

137.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 F CFA 356

$0.97 R 15.90

-36.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 F CFA 986

$1.54 R 25.37

11.69%

Eggs

$2.87 F CFA 1,647

$2.25 R 36.96

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 F CFA 7,383

$7.86 R 129

63.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 F CFA 5,258

$4.58 R 75.3

100.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 F CFA 6,173

$6.68 R 110

61.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 F CFA 1,614

$1.57 R 25.88

79.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 F CFA 1,152

$1.47 R 24.18

36.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 F CFA 1,585

$1.52 R 25.00

82.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 F CFA 1,244

$1.51 R 24.81

43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 F CFA 940

$1.26 R 20.71

30.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 795

$1.27 R 20.96

9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 F CFA 605

$1.09 R 17.86

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 F CFA 430

$0.97 R 15.93

-22.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 F CFA 896

$2.84 R 46.62

-45.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.23 F CFA 9,870

$5.20 R 85.5

231.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 F CFA 657

$1.38 R 22.74

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 F CFA 1,334

$1.72 R 28.24

35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 F CFA 208

$1.72 R 28.30

-79.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.1 F CFA 45.9K

$44.22 R 727

81.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 F CFA 1,551

$1.15 R 18.93

135.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 F CFA 1,571

$1.07 R 17.51

156.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.39 F CFA 9,963

$4.74 R 77.8

266.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 F CFA 1,022

$1.28 R 21.09

39.06%

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

$36.1K F CFA 20.7M

$20.4K R 334.8K

77.08%

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

$49.9K F CFA 28.6M

$24.0K R 394.3K

108.09%

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

$138 F CFA 79.1K

$113 R 1,856

22.27%

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

$10.26 F CFA 5,879

$32.35 R 532

-68.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.75 F CFA 28.5K

$41.46 R 682

20.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 F CFA 32.9K

$31.04 R 510

85.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.53 F CFA 12.3K

$9.72 R 160

121.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.88 F CFA 5,090

$6.67 R 110

33.13%

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

$268 F CFA 153.7K

$186 R 3,051

44.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,219 F CFA 4.1M

$4,399 R 72.3K

64.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 F CFA 38.8K

$50.2 R 824

35.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.60 F CFA 25.0K

$30.37 R 499

43.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 F CFA 58.4K

$93.4 R 1,535

9.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 F CFA 74.6K

$80.4 R 1,322

61.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 F CFA 488.5K

$439 R 7,210

94.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 F CFA 216.7K

$372 R 6,112

1.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 F CFA 1.1M

$903 R 14.8K

108.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 F CFA 520.6K

$705 R 11.6K

28.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,947 F CFA 2.8M

$1,116 R 18.3K

343.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,448 F CFA 829.7K

$793 R 13.0K

82.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 F CFA 240.6K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-72.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

11.55

-28.57%

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

Last update for Senegal: July 14, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $603 in Senegal, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $931 in Dakar vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $420 in Senegal, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 64% higher in Senegal.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Senegal.

Salaries are 260% 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 $727 per month in Senegal and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 49% 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.