Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Cape Verde Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Cape Verde

Name: Cape Verde
Address: CV

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $501 in Cape Verde, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $824 in Cape Verde, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $1,147 in Cape Verde, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 128% higher than in Cape Verde on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Cape Verde are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Cape Verde 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$5.91 CVE 561

91.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$55.0 CVE 5,222

-19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$8.29 CVE 788

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.52 CVE 239

-3.17%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$2.17 CVE 206

-46.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.23 CVE 117

-21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$3.18 CVE 302

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$2.09 CVE 198

47.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.53 CVE 145

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.77 CVE 168

-36.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$2.00 CVE 190

-8.50%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$2.43 CVE 230

4.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$13.87 CVE 1,317

-39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$8.53 CVE 810

-36.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$19.39 CVE 1,841

-59.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$3.21 CVE 304

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$2.64 CVE 251

-35.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$3.10 CVE 294

-41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$4.06 CVE 385

-53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.54 CVE 146

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.79 CVE 170

-16.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$1.34 CVE 127

-0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.24 CVE 118

-4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$5.31 CVE 505

-35.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$8.30 CVE 789

-38.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$2.04 CVE 194

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.97 CVE 187

3.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.69 CVE 65.8

155.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$32.27 CVE 3,065

95.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$2.17 CVE 206

-48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$2.67 CVE 254

-62.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$15.92 CVE 1,512

-49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.55 CVE 147

-5.81%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$30.1K CVE 2.9M

22.14%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$39.5K CVE 3.8M

-17.70%

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

$136 R 2,185

$151 CVE 14.4K

-10.41%

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

$35.72 R 575

$17.24 CVE 1,637

107.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$56.0 CVE 5,315

-26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$30.67 CVE 2,912

13.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$8.10 CVE 770

53.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$5.90 CVE 560

29.15%

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

$231 R 3,725

$148 CVE 14.0K

56.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$3,232 CVE 306.9K

77.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$53.0 CVE 5,033

6.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$26.06 CVE 2,475

30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$69.9 CVE 6,638

45.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$141 CVE 13.4K

-33.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$444 CVE 42.1K

14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$257 CVE 24.4K

62.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$607 CVE 57.6K

61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$347 CVE 33.0K

141.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$1,162 CVE 110.3K

-0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$794 CVE 75.4K

0.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$343 CVE 32.5K

353.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

7.33

53.34%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Cape Verde: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $171 in Cape Verde. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $595 in Praia.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $289 in Cape Verde. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 160% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 43% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 42% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 437% 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 Cape Verde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Verde is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 101% 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 Cape Verde, contributing to the overall 101% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cape Verde, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Cape Verde 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.