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: $746 in Senegal versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Senegal versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,778 in Senegal versus $2,175 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 $132 to $1,327, compared to $819–$1,339 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Senegal.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 F CFA 3,064

$9.05 R 147

-40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 F CFA 29.6K

$39.48 R 642

32.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 F CFA 5,771

$4.94 R 80.3

107.09%

Cappuccino

$4.43 F CFA 2,497

$2.06 R 33.47

115.05%

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

$1.05 F CFA 592

$0.95 R 15.40

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 F CFA 530

$0.81 R 13.13

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 F CFA 1,514

$2.21 R 35.90

21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 F CFA 2,543

$2.48 R 40.33

81.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 F CFA 1,445

$1.11 R 18.07

130.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 F CFA 352

$1.02 R 16.64

-39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 979

$1.56 R 25.28

11.54%

Eggs

$2.87 F CFA 1,619

$2.34 R 38.05

22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 F CFA 7,148

$7.73 R 126

63.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 F CFA 5,299

$4.49 R 73.1

109.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 F CFA 6,143

$6.73 R 109

61.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 F CFA 1,594

$1.56 R 25.40

81.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 F CFA 1,179

$1.43 R 23.22

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 F CFA 1,542

$1.44 R 23.48

89.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 F CFA 1,172

$1.51 R 24.55

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 935

$1.22 R 19.81

36.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 F CFA 758

$1.28 R 20.74

4.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 F CFA 575

$1.04 R 16.89

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 F CFA 427

$0.94 R 15.21

-19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 F CFA 872

$2.99 R 48.55

-48.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.37 F CFA 8,666

$5.16 R 83.8

197.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 614

$1.39 R 22.55

-21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 F CFA 1,271

$1.66 R 26.93

35.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 F CFA 206

$1.63 R 26.48

-77.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 F CFA 45.3K

$45.05 R 732

78.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 F CFA 1,462

$1.13 R 18.41

129.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 F CFA 1,601

$1.10 R 17.93

158.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.39 F CFA 9,806

$4.86 R 78.9

257.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 F CFA 974

$1.24 R 20.15

39.52%

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

$36.2K F CFA 20.4M

$20.3K R 330.2K

77.92%

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

$48.5K F CFA 27.3M

$23.5K R 381.4K

106.46%

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

$140 F CFA 78.7K

$113 R 1,843

23.04%

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

$10.11 F CFA 5,703

$32.36 R 526

-68.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 F CFA 28.5K

$41.45 R 674

21.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 F CFA 31.6K

$31.59 R 513

77.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.68 F CFA 12.2K

$9.61 R 156

125.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 F CFA 5,004

$6.83 R 111

29.87%

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

$263 F CFA 148.5K

$187 R 3,039

40.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,186 F CFA 4.1M

$4,362 R 70.9K

64.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 F CFA 37.8K

$49.50 R 804

35.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 F CFA 25.1K

$30.42 R 494

46.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 F CFA 58.7K

$91.7 R 1,489

13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 F CFA 73.8K

$78.9 R 1,281

66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 F CFA 484.6K

$442 R 7,175

94.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 F CFA 211.6K

$367 R 5,963

2.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 F CFA 1.1M

$884 R 14.4K

112.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 F CFA 502.9K

$723 R 11.8K

23.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,023 F CFA 2.8M

$1,090 R 17.7K

360.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 F CFA 846.1K

$780 R 12.7K

92.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 F CFA 245.7K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-72.03%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $597 in Senegal, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $914 in Dakar vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $431 in Senegal, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 62% higher in Senegal.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in Senegal.

Salaries are 253% 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

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

At $730 per month in Senegal and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 48% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Senegal is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.