Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Burkina Faso Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Burkina Faso

Name: Burkina Faso
Address: BF

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $614 in Burkina Faso, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $1,013 in Burkina Faso, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $1,411 in Burkina Faso, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 86% higher than in Burkina Faso on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Burkina Faso are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Burkina Faso 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$7.72 F CFA 4,365

46.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$26.78 F CFA 15.1K

66.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$7.35 F CFA 4,150

-19.73%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.04 F CFA 1,152

19.61%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.14 F CFA 642

1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.14 F CFA 643

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$1.22 F CFA 687

109.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$2.73 F CFA 1,541

12.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$2.13 F CFA 1,205

-39.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.16 F CFA 658

-2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$0.86 F CFA 484

112.79%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$2.63 F CFA 1,485

-3.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$17.67 F CFA 9,986

-52.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$21.14 F CFA 11.9K

-74.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$15.59 F CFA 8,811

-49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$4.96 F CFA 2,803

-61.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$3.44 F CFA 1,946

-47.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$3.91 F CFA 2,209

-51.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.60 F CFA 906

-3.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.80 F CFA 1,018

-17.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$1.36 F CFA 771

-2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.39 F CFA 786

-14.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$1.41 F CFA 797

141.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$6.15 F CFA 3,472

-17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.52 F CFA 858

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$2.61 F CFA 1,476

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.20 F CFA 111

780.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$0.51 F CFA 286

119.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$0.91 F CFA 516

10.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$8.82 F CFA 4,985

-8.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.48 F CFA 835

-1.35%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$28.9K F CFA 16.3M

27.32%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$32.1K F CFA 18.2M

1.19%

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

$136 R 2,185

$185 F CFA 104.7K

-26.76%

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

$35.72 R 575

$26.19 F CFA 14.8K

36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

-25.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$62.2 F CFA 35.1K

-43.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$9.10 F CFA 5,141

36.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$7.14 F CFA 4,037

6.72%

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

$231 R 3,725

$35.36 F CFA 20.0K

554.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$6,120 F CFA 3.5M

-6.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$35.56 F CFA 20.1K

58.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$54.2 F CFA 30.6K

-37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$88.5 F CFA 50.0K

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$105 F CFA 59.2K

-11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$351 F CFA 198.3K

44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$235 F CFA 132.6K

78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,395 F CFA 788.2K

-29.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$774 F CFA 437.2K

8.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$894 F CFA 505.0K

28.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$267 F CFA 150.7K

200.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$613 F CFA 346.4K

153.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-6.33%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Burkina Faso: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $174 in Burkina Faso. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $347 in Ouagadougou.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $612 in Burkina Faso. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 156% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 186% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 154% 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 Burkina Faso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burkina Faso is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 100% 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 Burkina Faso, contributing to the overall 100% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Burkina Faso, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Burkina Faso 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.