Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somalia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Somalia: $620 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Somalia
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Somalia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇸🇴 Somalia

$620

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Somalia and in South Africa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Somalia and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $620 per month in Somalia vs $1,203 in South Africa, rent included.

Somalia $620
South Africa $1,203

A couple spends around $924 per month in Somalia vs $1,893 in South Africa, rent included.

Somalia $924
South Africa $1,893

A family of three spends $1,229 per month in Somalia vs $2,583 in South Africa, rent included.

Somalia $1,229
South Africa $2,583

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Somalia ($70–$616), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Somalia is roughly 48% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Somalia and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Somalia 54% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 SOS 1,740

$10.67 R 178

-71.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.28 SOS 8,677

$41.66 R 694

-63.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 SOS 2,918

$5.80 R 96.6

-11.38%

Cappuccino

$1.53 SOS 870

$2.36 R 39.30

-35.17%

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

$1.01 SOS 571

$1.12 R 18.60

-9.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 SOS 252

$0.90 R 15.02

-51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.14 SOS 6,329

$2.42 R 40.27

360.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.81 SOS 8,410

$3.06 R 51.0

383.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 SOS 755

$1.18 R 19.62

12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 SOS 635

$1.13 R 18.86

-0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 SOS 502

$1.74 R 28.95

-49.43%

Eggs

$2.16 SOS 1,226

$2.57 R 42.88

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.81 SOS 2,733

$8.43 R 140

-42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

$5.12 R 85.3

-11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.60 SOS 2,610

$7.59 R 127

-39.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 SOS 1,203

$1.77 R 29.57

19.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 SOS 707

$1.74 R 28.95

-28.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 SOS 1,032

$1.77 R 29.48

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 SOS 662

$1.76 R 29.31

-34.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 SOS 719

$1.49 R 24.85

-14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SOS 910

$1.47 R 24.42

8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 SOS 556

$1.23 R 20.56

-20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 SOS 405

$1.10 R 18.29

-35.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.98 SOS 557

$3.24 R 54.1

-69.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.06 SOS 1,168

$5.00 R 83.3

-58.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 SOS 1,169

$1.50 R 24.95

37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SOS 1,128

$1.94 R 32.32

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 SOS 163

$1.48 R 24.63

-80.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.00 SOS 6,815

$59.3 R 988

-79.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 SOS 840

$1.09 R 18.25

35.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 SOS 327

$0.99 R 16.49

-41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 SOS 1,971

$7.46 R 124

-53.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 SOS 528

$1.43 R 23.80

-34.97%

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

$10.1K SOS 5.8M

$35.3K R 588.4K

-71.28%

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

$9,146 SOS 5.2M

$32.4K R 540.6K

-71.80%

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

$111 SOS 63.0K

$133 R 2,212

-16.45%

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

$6.82 SOS 3,872

$34.83 R 581

-80.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.60 SOS 22.5K

$39.76 R 663

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.71 SOS 15.7K

$33.09 R 552

-16.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.97 SOS 1,116

$11.65 R 194

-83.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 120

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

$39.61 SOS 22.5K

$224 R 3,735

-82.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$290 SOS 164.9K

$5,462 R 91.0K

-94.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.84 SOS 7,290

$54.2 R 903

-76.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.14 SOS 9,736

$34.13 R 569

-49.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$17.10 SOS 9,711

$102 R 1,702

-83.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.01 SOS 14.8K

$88.5 R 1,475

-70.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 SOS 70.6K

$492 R 8,204

-74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.4 SOS 44.5K

$398 R 6,629

-80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 SOS 212.1K

$946 R 15.8K

-60.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 SOS 104.4K

$827 R 13.8K

-77.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,674 SOS 2.7M

$1,099 R 18.3K

325.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 SOS 2.1M

$769 R 12.8K

381.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 SOS 155.4K

$1,502 R 25.0K

-81.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

33.57%

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

Last update for Somalia: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somalia

$157 25.4%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 31.8% $50

Groceries & Markets

Somalia

$157 25.3%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 25.2% $39

Eating Out

Somalia

$149 24.1%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 5.3% $7.9

Accommodation & Living

Somalia

$78 12.7%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 407% $319

Clothing & Footwear

Somalia

$33 5.3%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 282% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Somalia

$28 * 4.5%

South Africa

$47 4% 71.2% $20

Getting Around

Somalia

$18 2.8%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 307% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $115 in Somalia vs $422 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $192 in Mogadishu and $450 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $297 in Somalia vs $1,488 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 267% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 86% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 408% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 5 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Somalia

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind Somalia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,031,386

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SOS – Somali Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇴 Somali Shilling (Sh)

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 632 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.67 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to SOS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Somalia South Africa 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Somalia
South Africa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 48% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $115 in Somalia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Somalia, adding to the overall 94% price gap.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.