Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Algeria

Name: Algeria
Address: DZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Algeria: $552 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Algeria
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Algeria Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇩🇿 Algeria

$552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in South Africa versus $552 in Algeria.

South Africa $1,203
Algeria $552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,893 in South Africa versus $892 in Algeria.

South Africa $1,893
Algeria $892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,583 in South Africa versus $1,233 in Algeria.

South Africa $2,583
Algeria $1,233

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $400–$625 in Algeria. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in South Africa is roughly 118% more expensive than in Algeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 12% lower, Algeria 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 177

$2.59 DZD 349

311.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 692

$22.51 DZD 3,030

85.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.3

$3.84 DZD 516

51.04%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.18

$0.79 DZD 107

198.73%

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

$1.12 R 18.54

$0.58 DZD 78.5

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.98

$0.26 DZD 35.18

246.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.14

$1.33 DZD 179

81.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.8

$2.18 DZD 293

40.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.56

$0.95 DZD 127

24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.81

$0.14 DZD 18.36

707.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.86

$1.36 DZD 182

27.94%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.75

$1.71 DZD 230

50.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$8.99 DZD 1,211

-6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.0

$4.59 DZD 618

11.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 126

$15.19 DZD 2,045

-50.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.48

$2.98 DZD 401

-40.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.86

$3.02 DZD 407

-42.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.39

$1.62 DZD 218

9.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.22

$0.79 DZD 106

122.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.77

$0.59 DZD 79.9

152.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.34

$0.50 DZD 67.3

194.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.50

$0.69 DZD 92.5

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.23

$0.32 DZD 43.36

243.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 53.9

$2.72 DZD 366

19.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.1

$8.31 DZD 1,119

-39.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.87

$1.49 DZD 200

0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.22

$1.85 DZD 249

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.55

$0.17 DZD 22.86

770.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 985

$7.32 DZD 985

709.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.19

$1.13 DZD 152

-3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.44

$0.43 DZD 57.9

130.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

$4.68 DZD 630

59.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.73

$0.36 DZD 47.85

297.22%

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

$35.3K R 586.6K

$31.7K DZD 4.3M

11.39%

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

$32.4K R 539.0K

$34.4K DZD 4.6M

-5.68%

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

$133 R 2,206

$34.94 DZD 4,704

279.91%

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

$34.83 R 579

$9.50 DZD 1,279

266.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 661

$18.57 DZD 2,499

114.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 550

$19.03 DZD 2,561

73.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 194

$8.85 DZD 1,191

31.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

$4.50 DZD 606

59.56%

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

$224 R 3,723

$82.1 DZD 11.0K

172.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.8K

$3,020 DZD 406.5K

80.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 901

$33.76 DZD 4,544

60.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 567

$41.19 DZD 5,545

-17.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,696

$66.9 DZD 9,009

52.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,470

$70.8 DZD 9,526

25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,178

$139 DZD 18.7K

254.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,609

$98.3 DZD 13.2K

304.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.7K

$258 DZD 34.8K

266.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.7K

$168 DZD 22.6K

392.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$1,058 DZD 142.4K

3.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$725 DZD 97.5K

6.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 25.0K

$292 DZD 39.2K

415.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

6.03

86.24%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Algeria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Algeria

$98 17.8% 75.3% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Algeria

$63 11.4% 69.6% $144

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Algeria

$199 36.1% 1.7% $3.3

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Algeria

$56 10.2% 64.3% $101

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Algeria

$96 17.4% 23.8% $30

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Algeria

$11 2% 84.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Algeria

$28 5.1% 40.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $422 in South Africa, $141 in Algeria. Capital cities: $450 in Pretoria vs $163 in Algiers.

National salary averages: $1,488 in South Africa, $293 in Algeria. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 199% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 86% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 771% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 5.1 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇩🇿 Algeria

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

46,164,219

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 16.62 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Algeria 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Algeria

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

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

At $552 per month in Algeria and $1,203 in South Africa, Algeria comes out about 54% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Algeria: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $422 in South Africa and $141 in Algeria. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Algeria, $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: Algeria wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.