Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Central African Republic Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Central African Republic

Name: Central African Republic
Address: CF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $436 in Central African Republic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $701 in Central African Republic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $965 in Central African Republic.

Living in South Africa is roughly 134% more expensive than in Central African Republic on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Central African Republic 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $803 to $1,362, compared to $436–$436 in Central African Republic. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

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

$1.00 R 16.57

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$1.79 FCFA 1,025

-55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$3.45 FCFA 1,980

-35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$5.42 FCFA 3,109

-52.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$5.42 FCFA 3,107

-79.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$4.51 FCFA 2,586

-78.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$4.30 FCFA 2,466

-64.19%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$5.25 FCFA 3,012

-57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$9.02 FCFA 5,173

-12.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$9.01 FCFA 5,167

-49.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$3.49 FCFA 2,002

91.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$7.24 FCFA 4,155

-79.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$5.30 FCFA 3,041

-71.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$4.44 FCFA 2,549

-71.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$6.09 FCFA 3,492

-79.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$2.63 FCFA 1,511

-58.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$2.60 FCFA 1,491

-62.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$4.43 FCFA 2,540

-35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$11.50 FCFA 6,596

-54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$6.33 FCFA 3,631

-78.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$4.43 FCFA 2,539

-61.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$78.3 FCFA 44.9K

-43.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$2.87 FCFA 1,645

-62.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$14.38 FCFA 8,250

-67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$2.68 FCFA 1,539

-52.24%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$13.6K FCFA 7.8M

76.16%

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

$113 R 1,869

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

$32.35 R 536

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

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

$186 R 3,072

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$60.0 FCFA 34.4K

-16.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$91.2 FCFA 52.3K

-66.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$41.68 FCFA 23.9K

124.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$79.9 FCFA 45.8K

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$1,308 FCFA 750.2K

-66.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$1,361 FCFA 780.6K

-17.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$1,665 FCFA 954.7K

-52.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$835 FCFA 478.7K

80.42%

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 Central African Republic: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $1,332 in Central African Republic. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $1,332 in Bangui.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 262% higher in Central African Republic.

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 Central African Republic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $436 per month in Central African Republic and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 148% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Central African Republic: 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 is consistently higher than in Central African Republic across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Central African Republic, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Central African Republic wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.