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 $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $515 in Burkina Faso, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $849 in Burkina Faso, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,183 in Burkina Faso, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 98% 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 24% lower, Burkina Faso 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$5.38 F CFA 3,084

69.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$24.15 F CFA 13.9K

62.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$8.00 F CFA 4,588

-35.12%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$1.74 F CFA 998

13.79%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.83 F CFA 476

20.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.55 F CFA 315

43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.05 F CFA 600

110.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$1.88 F CFA 1,076

36.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.71 F CFA 1,555

-58.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.90 F CFA 519

7.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$0.98 F CFA 564

57.14%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.96 F CFA 1,696

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$17.37 F CFA 9,964

-54.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$21.29 F CFA 12.2K

-78.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$12.31 F CFA 7,063

-45.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$4.48 F CFA 2,568

-64.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.36 F CFA 781

8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$0.99 F CFA 567

53.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$2.44 F CFA 1,402

-38.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$2.18 F CFA 1,252

-42.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.31 F CFA 752

-3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.86 F CFA 494

26.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.36 F CFA 778

-28.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.72 F CFA 986

65.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$6.11 F CFA 3,504

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$1.25 F CFA 714

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$2.40 F CFA 1,376

-28.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.19 F CFA 110

805.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$0.51 F CFA 291

125.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$1.62 F CFA 932

-33.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.54 F CFA 882

-16.88%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$38.4K F CFA 22.0M

-47.00%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$37.6K F CFA 21.5M

-36.14%

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

$113 R 1,869

$128 F CFA 73.4K

-11.81%

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

$32.35 R 536

$35.52 F CFA 20.4K

-8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$50.6 F CFA 29.0K

-17.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$61.0 F CFA 35.0K

-49.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$8.74 F CFA 5,016

11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$8.57 F CFA 4,914

-22.17%

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

$186 R 3,072

$130 F CFA 74.7K

42.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$17.3K F CFA 9.9M

-74.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$443 F CFA 253.9K

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$277 F CFA 158.7K

34.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$1,259 F CFA 722.3K

-28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$752 F CFA 431.4K

-6.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$859 F CFA 492.8K

29.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$261 F CFA 149.9K

203.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$586 F CFA 336.1K

156.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Burkina Faso: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $225 in Burkina Faso. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $449 in Ouagadougou.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $607 in Burkina Faso. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 64% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 192% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 149% 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 110% 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 110% 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.