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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $341 per month in Somalia vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $535 per month in Somalia vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $729 per month in Somalia vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Somalia is roughly 67% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Somalia and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Somalia 75% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 SOS 1,739

$9.05 R 147

-66.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.93 SOS 8,479

$39.48 R 642

-62.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 SOS 2,803

$4.94 R 80.3

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$1.32 SOS 749

$2.06 R 33.47

-35.92%

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

$0.72 SOS 410

$0.95 R 15.40

-24.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 SOS 200

$0.81 R 13.13

-56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.60 SOS 6,023

$2.21 R 35.90

379.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.72 SOS 8,362

$2.48 R 40.33

493.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 SOS 817

$1.11 R 18.07

29.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SOS 525

$1.02 R 16.64

-9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 SOS 593

$1.56 R 25.28

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.31 SOS 1,314

$2.34 R 38.05

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 SOS 2,896

$7.73 R 126

-34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 SOS 2,651

$4.49 R 73.1

4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.55 SOS 3,152

$6.73 R 109

-17.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 SOS 1,683

$1.56 R 25.40

89.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SOS 922

$1.43 R 23.22

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SOS 1,602

$1.44 R 23.48

95.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 SOS 690

$1.51 R 24.55

-19.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SOS 652

$1.22 R 19.81

-5.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SOS 723

$1.28 R 20.74

-0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 SOS 507

$1.04 R 16.89

-14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 SOS 391

$0.94 R 15.21

-26.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.08 SOS 616

$2.99 R 48.55

-63.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$5.16 R 83.8

-60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SOS 1,128

$1.39 R 22.55

43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 SOS 177

$1.63 R 26.48

-80.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.90 SOS 14.1K

$45.05 R 732

-44.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 SOS 829

$1.13 R 18.41

29.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 SOS 334

$1.10 R 17.93

-46.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 SOS 2,527

$4.86 R 78.9

-8.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 SOS 568

$1.24 R 20.15

-19.35%

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

$5,687 SOS 3.2M

$20.3K R 330.2K

-72.01%

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

$8,558 SOS 4.9M

$23.5K R 381.4K

-63.53%

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

$99.6 SOS 56.6K

$113 R 1,843

-12.16%

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

$6.91 SOS 3,926

$32.36 R 526

-78.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.78 SOS 19.2K

$41.45 R 674

-18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 SOS 16.4K

$31.59 R 513

-8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.30 SOS 5,283

$9.61 R 156

-3.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 SOS 2,849

$6.83 R 111

-26.50%

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

$33.84 SOS 19.2K

$187 R 3,039

-81.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$592 SOS 336.3K

$4,362 R 70.9K

-86.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.67 SOS 8,335

$49.50 R 804

-70.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.88 SOS 11.3K

$30.42 R 494

-34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.76 SOS 11.8K

$91.7 R 1,489

-77.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.26 SOS 16.1K

$78.9 R 1,281

-64.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 SOS 71.2K

$442 R 7,175

-71.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.5 SOS 40.0K

$367 R 5,963

-80.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SOS 208.4K

$884 R 14.4K

-58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 SOS 103.2K

$723 R 11.8K

-74.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K SOS 7.0M

$1,090 R 17.7K

1030.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,596 SOS 2.0M

$780 R 12.7K

361.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 SOS 154.2K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-82.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.43

11.55

-18.35%

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

Last update for Somalia: May 31, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $86.0 in Somalia vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $158 in Mogadishu and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $286 in Somalia 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 328% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 289% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 220% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 431% 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

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

Somalia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 219% 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 Somalia, contributing to the overall 219% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Somalia, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Somalia 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.