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 $592 in Algeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in South Africa versus $941 in Algeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in South Africa versus $1,290 in Algeria.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Algeria 56% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $806 to $1,361, compared to $453–$772 in Algeria. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.88 R 144

$2.72 DZD 360

226.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.40 R 641

$22.83 DZD 3,026

72.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 80.1

$4.10 DZD 544

20.00%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.49

$0.80 DZD 106

150.00%

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

$1.03 R 16.69

$0.61 DZD 81.3

68.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.23

$0.24 DZD 31.96

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 36.75

$1.55 DZD 205

45.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 40.27

$2.28 DZD 302

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.54

$1.03 DZD 137

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 16.90

$0.18 DZD 24.31

477.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.62

$1.61 DZD 213

-2.48%

Eggs

$2.28 R 37.11

$1.85 DZD 245

23.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$8.45 DZD 1,120

-8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 R 74.3

$5.19 DZD 688

-12.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.72 R 109

$16.47 DZD 2,184

-59.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.47

$3.19 DZD 423

-52.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.02

$3.12 DZD 414

-54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.54

$1.80 DZD 238

-16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.67

$0.76 DZD 101

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.58

$0.61 DZD 81.5

106.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.09

$0.51 DZD 68.1

154.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.74

$0.63 DZD 83.0

73.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.10

$0.31 DZD 41.01

219.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 R 48.53

$2.78 DZD 369

7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 R 83.4

$9.08 DZD 1,203

-43.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.52

$1.61 DZD 213

-18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 26.86

$2.07 DZD 274

-20.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 R 27.79

$0.22 DZD 29.06

677.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.13 R 735

$11.63 DZD 1,542

288.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.05

$1.19 DZD 157

-6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 R 18.03

$0.38 DZD 49.93

192.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 R 76.6

$4.86 DZD 644

-3.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.88

$0.33 DZD 44.09

287.88%

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

$20.8K R 338.1K

$36.1K DZD 4.8M

-42.51%

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

$23.5K R 381.9K

$34.9K DZD 4.6M

-32.78%

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

$111 R 1,804

$41.90 DZD 5,553

164.51%

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

$32.41 R 528

$10.41 DZD 1,380

211.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 R 678

$20.08 DZD 2,661

107.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 R 508

$20.33 DZD 2,695

53.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.78 R 159

$7.29 DZD 967

34.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 110

$4.53 DZD 600

49.67%

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

$189 R 3,069

$79.0 DZD 10.5K

138.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,394 R 71.5K

$2,798 DZD 370.9K

57.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.42 R 804

$36.77 DZD 4,874

34.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 R 495

$45.20 DZD 5,991

-32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 R 1,532

$69.9 DZD 9,268

34.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 R 1,292

$75.6 DZD 10.0K

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R 7,219

$172 DZD 22.9K

157.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,988

$108 DZD 14.3K

240.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 R 14.3K

$296 DZD 39.2K

197.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 R 11.6K

$191 DZD 25.3K

273.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 R 17.3K

$1,096 DZD 145.3K

-3.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 R 12.7K

$710 DZD 94.0K

10.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 R 24.5K

$309 DZD 40.9K

387.38%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Algeria: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $185 in Algeria. Capital cities: $764 in Cape Town vs $222 in Algiers.

National salary averages: $1,501 in South Africa, $309 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 386% 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

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

At $613 per month in Algeria and $1,084 in South Africa, there's a 77% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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