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 $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $527 in Cape Verde, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $879 in Cape Verde, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,230 in Cape Verde, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 94% 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 24% lower, Cape Verde 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$5.10 CVE 492

79.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$51.7 CVE 4,986

-24.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$8.13 CVE 784

-36.16%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$1.96 CVE 189

1.02%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.96 CVE 189

-48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$1.17 CVE 113

-32.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$3.36 CVE 324

-34.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$2.14 CVE 207

20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$1.37 CVE 132

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.83 CVE 177

-46.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.80 CVE 174

-14.44%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.31 CVE 222

-2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$13.10 CVE 1,263

-40.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$8.14 CVE 785

-43.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$20.28 CVE 1,956

-67.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$2.68 CVE 258

-41.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$2.33 CVE 225

-36.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$2.82 CVE 272

-46.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$3.49 CVE 337

-56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.49 CVE 143

-15.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.70 CVE 164

-25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$1.41 CVE 136

-22.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.06 CVE 102

-8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$4.98 CVE 481

-42.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$8.42 CVE 812

-38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.02 CVE 195

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.85 CVE 179

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.90 CVE 87.1

91.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$30.47 CVE 2,939

45.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$1.81 CVE 175

-36.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$2.12 CVE 205

-49.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$10.64 CVE 1,026

-55.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.52 CVE 147

-15.79%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$29.4K CVE 2.8M

-30.71%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$39.2K CVE 3.8M

-38.82%

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

$113 R 1,869

$136 CVE 13.1K

-16.77%

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

$32.35 R 536

$28.27 CVE 2,727

14.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$53.4 CVE 5,151

-22.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$34.59 CVE 3,336

-10.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$8.68 CVE 837

11.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$5.86 CVE 565

13.82%

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

$186 R 3,072

$162 CVE 15.6K

14.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$2,997 CVE 289.0K

46.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$59.6 CVE 5,750

-15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$30.79 CVE 2,969

-1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$83.1 CVE 8,010

12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$140 CVE 13.5K

-42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$455 CVE 43.9K

-3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$250 CVE 24.1K

48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$567 CVE 54.7K

59.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$482 CVE 46.5K

46.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$1,134 CVE 109.4K

-1.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$798 CVE 77.0K

-0.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$330 CVE 31.8K

356.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

7.67

50.59%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Verde: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $161 in Cape Verde. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $474 in Praia.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $286 in Cape Verde. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 429% 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 78% 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 78% 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.