Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Chad

Name: Chad
Address: TD

For one person, living is cheaper in Chad: $1,074 a month against $1,209 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in South Africa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Chad
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Chad Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,209

/mo nomad

🇹🇩 Chad

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Chad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Africa and in Chad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,209 per month in South Africa vs $1,074 in Chad, rent included.

South Africa $1,209
Chad $1,074

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in South Africa vs $1,430 in Chad, rent included.

South Africa $1,900
Chad $1,430

A family of three spends $2,590 per month in South Africa vs $1,787 in Chad, rent included.

South Africa $2,590
Chad $1,787

The cost of living in South Africa is about 13% higher than in Chad on average.

Both South Africa and Chad are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 10% lower, Chad 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.95 R 180

$8.73 FCFA 5,089

25.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.96 R 708

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 94.9

Cappuccino

$2.38 R 39.20

$0.81 FCFA 472

193.83%

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

$1.16 R 19.15

$0.89 FCFA 518

30.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.33

$0.86 FCFA 504

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R 40.21

$1.32 FCFA 767

84.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R 49.14

$1.75 FCFA 1,019

70.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.38

$3.69 FCFA 2,152

-68.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 18.30

$0.35 FCFA 206

217.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.71

$3.38 FCFA 1,971

-48.52%

Eggs

$2.49 R 40.95

$2.01 FCFA 1,171

23.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 140

$3.32 FCFA 1,937

156.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 R 85.0

$6.64 FCFA 3,870

-22.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 R 124

$3.51 FCFA 2,046

113.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.00

$4.76 FCFA 2,775

-60.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.71

$2.08 FCFA 1,214

-19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.39

$2.49 FCFA 1,455

-28.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.21

$2.41 FCFA 1,403

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.51

$1.62 FCFA 947

-8.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.77

$1.57 FCFA 915

-4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.99

$0.52 FCFA 304

144.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.09

$2.15 FCFA 1,254

-48.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.9

$1.03 FCFA 599

217.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.9

$7.81 FCFA 4,554

-35.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.10

$1.13 FCFA 657

34.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.16

$1.72 FCFA 1,001

13.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 R 26.08

$0.42 FCFA 245

276.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 R 1,011

$85.1 FCFA 49.6K

-27.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.34

$0.45 FCFA 262

146.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.64

$0.41 FCFA 240

131.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 123

$5.06 FCFA 2,950

47.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.98

$1.30 FCFA 758

12.31%

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

$35.4K R 583.7K

$11.8K FCFA 6.9M

199.66%

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

$30.9K R 509.0K

$11.0K FCFA 6.4M

180.02%

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

$134 R 2,201

$42.11 FCFA 24.6K

217.19%

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

$34.44 R 567

$25.14 FCFA 14.7K

36.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 R 665

$418 FCFA 243.5K

-90.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 R 562

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 R 191

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 R 118

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

$227 R 3,746

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,487 R 90.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 R 885

$25.53 FCFA 14.9K

110.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 R 554

$33.59 FCFA 19.6K

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 R 1,645

$42.68 FCFA 24.9K

133.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 R 1,440

$84.7 FCFA 49.4K

3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 R 7,943

$1,722 FCFA 1.0M

-72.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,568

$84.6 FCFA 49.3K

371.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 R 15.4K

$254 FCFA 148.1K

268.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 R 13.5K

$168 FCFA 98.1K

386.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,096 R 18.1K

$186 FCFA 108.2K

490.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$785 R 12.9K

$181 FCFA 105.5K

333.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,515 R 25.0K

$343 FCFA 200.2K

341.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

3.5

220.86%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$399 33%

Chad

$85 7.9% 78.8% $314

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$208 17.2%

Chad

$485 45.2% 133% $276

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$197 16.3%

Chad

$235 21.8% 19.2% $38

Eating Out

South Africa

$160 13.2%

Chad

$97 * 9% 39.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$124 10.2%

Chad

$84 7.8% 32.1% $40

Getting Around

South Africa

$74 6.1%

Chad

$89 8.3% 21.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$48 4%

Chad

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $421 in South Africa vs $858 in Chad. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,021 in Cape Town and $1,716 in N'Djamena.

Average salary: $1,487 in South Africa vs $347 in Chad. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 104% higher in Chad.

Public transport is 153% more expensive in Chad.

Salaries are 329% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇹🇩 Chad

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

19,319,064

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

South Africa Chad 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Chad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chad is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 13% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, South Africa costs about 13% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in South Africa. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

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

Chad 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.