Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and the Comoros

Name: Comoros
Address: KM

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,214 a month against $1,401 in the Comoros, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in the Comoros
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Comoros Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,214

/mo nomad

🇰🇲 Comoros

$1,401

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in the Comoros

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 the Comoros actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,214 per month in South Africa vs $1,401 in the Comoros, rent included.

South Africa $1,214
Comoros $1,401

A couple spends around $1,908 per month in South Africa vs $2,092 in the Comoros, rent included.

South Africa $1,908
Comoros $2,092

A family of three spends $2,602 per month in South Africa vs $2,782 in the Comoros, rent included.

South Africa $2,602
Comoros $2,782

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($627–$1,599) than in the Comoros ($1,409–$1,409), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Africa is roughly 13% lower than in the Comoros on average.

South Africa sits 10% below the global median, while the Comoros is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 R 184

$6.10 KMF 2,667

83.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.79 R 705

$18.42 KMF 8,060

132.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 R 94.8

$7.75 KMF 3,390

-25.81%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.68

$1.71 KMF 749

37.43%

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

$1.14 R 18.73

$1.01 KMF 444

12.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.23

$0.62 KMF 270

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 R 39.19

$1.06 KMF 462

124.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R 50.6

$1.82 KMF 795

68.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.13

$4.23 KMF 1,849

-71.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.10

$0.56 KMF 244

96.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.66

$1.67 KMF 729

4.19%

Eggs

$2.61 R 42.98

$5.09 KMF 2,226

-48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 R 139

$7.73 KMF 3,384

9.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R 85.1

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 129

$12.48 KMF 5,460

-37.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.52

$5.01 KMF 2,190

-64.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.87

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.50

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.47

$4.19 KMF 1,834

-57.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.75

$4.48 KMF 1,961

-67.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.97

$3.06 KMF 1,340

-50.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.59

$2.19 KMF 957

-42.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.18

$1.29 KMF 563

-14.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 R 56.5

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 R 80.7

$16.65 KMF 7,287

-70.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R 25.21

$0.99 KMF 432

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.96

$6.90 KMF 3,020

-71.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 R 25.85

$0.60 KMF 261

161.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 R 983

$32.23 KMF 14.1K

85.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R 17.58

$0.70 KMF 308

52.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 R 17.17

$1.04 KMF 453

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 R 128

$11.52 KMF 5,039

-32.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.75

$2.94 KMF 1,286

-48.98%

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

$36.4K R 600.2K

$19.2K KMF 8.4M

89.99%

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

$33.1K R 545.0K

$17.5K KMF 7.7M

89.14%

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

$132 R 2,172

$111 KMF 48.7K

18.52%

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

$35.19 R 580

$33.69 KMF 14.7K

4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.82 R 656

$74.8 KMF 32.7K

-46.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.82 R 557

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 R 191

$13.29 KMF 5,815

-12.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 118

$6.58 KMF 2,881

8.66%

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

$227 R 3,740

$402 KMF 176.1K

-43.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,604 R 92.3K

$14.2K KMF 6.2M

-60.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$59.4 KMF 26.0K

-10.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 R 568

$61.5 KMF 26.9K

-43.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,680

$112 KMF 48.9K

-8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 R 1,482

$84.1 KMF 36.8K

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 R 8,036

$718 KMF 314.1K

-32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,634

$600 KMF 262.5K

-32.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 R 15.8K

$1,423 KMF 622.6K

-32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 R 13.6K

$1,143 KMF 500.2K

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,115 R 18.4K

$1,600 KMF 699.9K

-30.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 R 13.2K

$1,347 KMF 589.2K

-40.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,482 R 24.4K

$665 KMF 291.0K

122.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

3.8

195.53%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Last update for the Comoros: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$403 33.2%

Comoros

$600 42.8% 49% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17%

Comoros

$220 15.7% 6.2% $13

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$198 16.3%

Comoros

$277 * 19.8% 40.3% $80

Eating Out

South Africa

$161 13.3%

Comoros

$108 7.7% 32.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Comoros

$143 10.2% 13.3% $17

Getting Around

South Africa

$72 6%

Comoros

$40 2.9% 44% $32

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$48 4%

Comoros

$13 * 0.9% 72.6% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $429 in South Africa vs $730 in the Comoros. For reference, capital cities sit at $455 in Pretoria and $730 in Moroni.

Average salary: $1,501 in South Africa vs $653 in the Comoros. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in the Comoros.

Dining out costs 117% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 94% more expensive in the Comoros.

Salaries are 130% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇰🇲 Comoros

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

1 h ahead of South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

902,348

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Comorian Franc KMF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 KMF = 2.29 USD

1,000 KMF = 2.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Comorian Franc exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 438 KMF (1,000 KMF = 2.29 USD). 1 EUR = 492 KMF (1,000 KMF = 2.03 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Comoros 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Comoros

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 Comoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 15% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the Comoros: a central one-bedroom averages $730 versus $429 in South Africa.

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

South Africa 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.