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

Name: Algeria
Address: DZ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in South Africa versus $591 in Algeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,583 in South Africa versus $938 in Algeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,146 in South Africa versus $1,284 in Algeria.

Living in South Africa is roughly 72% more expensive than in Algeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 23% lower, Algeria 56% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $804 to $1,358, compared to $461–$757 in Algeria. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R 148

$2.76 DZD 365

222.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.93 R 665

$23.51 DZD 3,112

69.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 R 81.7

$4.28 DZD 566

14.49%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.88

$0.82 DZD 109

147.56%

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

$1.04 R 17.26

$0.62 DZD 81.6

67.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 12.32

$0.22 DZD 29.08

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 38.17

$1.53 DZD 203

49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.69

$2.36 DZD 312

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.74

$0.96 DZD 128

11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.27

$0.18 DZD 23.39

477.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.96

$1.62 DZD 214

-3.70%

Eggs

$2.22 R 37.05

$1.77 DZD 235

25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 132

$8.49 DZD 1,124

-6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 R 76.1

$4.97 DZD 657

-8.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 R 110

$16.44 DZD 2,175

-59.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.03

$3.16 DZD 418

-52.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.46

$3.15 DZD 417

-53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R 24.11

$1.78 DZD 235

-18.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.14

$0.83 DZD 110

89.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.97

$0.61 DZD 80.3

96.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 21.38

$0.51 DZD 67.7

150.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 R 17.23

$0.60 DZD 79.0

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.54

$0.34 DZD 44.43

173.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R 48.96

$2.82 DZD 373

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 R 85.7

$8.58 DZD 1,135

-40.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.67

$1.57 DZD 208

-13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.66

$2.02 DZD 267

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 27.22

$0.24 DZD 31.79

579.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R 736

$11.54 DZD 1,528

283.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.18

$1.13 DZD 150

1.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.30

$0.38 DZD 49.79

189.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 R 79.5

$4.77 DZD 632

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.81

$0.34 DZD 44.40

267.65%

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

$21.0K R 350.4K

$36.1K DZD 4.8M

-41.76%

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

$23.4K R 390.4K

$34.2K DZD 4.5M

-31.48%

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

$114 R 1,892

$41.36 DZD 5,473

174.56%

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

$32.92 R 548

$10.24 DZD 1,355

221.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.72 R 678

$20.64 DZD 2,732

97.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 R 525

$20.36 DZD 2,694

54.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 R 159

$7.19 DZD 952

32.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 R 115

$4.69 DZD 620

47.33%

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

$188 R 3,124

$79.3 DZD 10.5K

136.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,300 R 71.6K

$2,792 DZD 369.6K

53.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 832

$37.05 DZD 4,903

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 R 511

$45.31 DZD 5,996

-32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 R 1,571

$71.1 DZD 9,415

32.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,331

$74.8 DZD 9,897

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R 7,398

$170 DZD 22.6K

160.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,231

$110 DZD 14.6K

239.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 R 15.0K

$288 DZD 38.1K

213.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 12.0K

$196 DZD 26.0K

267.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 R 18.4K

$1,114 DZD 147.5K

-1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$756 R 12.6K

$707 DZD 93.6K

6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 R 24.9K

$301 DZD 39.8K

396.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

6.09

89.66%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 27, 2026

Last update for Algeria: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $367 in South Africa, $184 in Algeria. Capital cities: $399 in Pretoria vs $227 in Algiers.

National salary averages: $1,498 in South Africa, $303 in Algeria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 99% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 59% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 394% 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

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

At $609 per month in Algeria and $1,081 in South Africa, there's a 78% 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 Algeria: 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 Algeria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.