Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Djibouti Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Djibouti

Name: Djibouti
Address: DJ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $1,006 in Djibouti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $1,610 in Djibouti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $2,213 in Djibouti, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 14% higher than in Djibouti on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Djibouti are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Djibouti 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$9.67 DJF 1,721

16.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$72.7 DJF 12.9K

-38.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$15.39 DJF 2,738

-61.66%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$3.47 DJF 617

-29.68%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.88 DJF 335

-38.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.66 DJF 296

-42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$7.08 DJF 1,259

-63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$8.69 DJF 1,547

-64.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$2.86 DJF 509

-55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$9.03 DJF 1,608

-87.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$2.75 DJF 489

-33.45%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$5.75 DJF 1,024

-55.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$9.41 DJF 1,674

-11.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$18.53 DJF 3,298

-70.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$12.28 DJF 2,186

-35.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$3.66 DJF 651

-48.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$1.18 DJF 211

44.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.54 DJF 451

-28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.60 DJF 284

17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.54 DJF 275

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.60 DJF 285

-6.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$5.45 DJF 970

-75.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.57 DJF 102

108.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$1.94 DJF 345

75.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$21.43 DJF 3,814

-76.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$2.29 DJF 407

-34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$3.62 DJF 644

-43.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.43 DJF 76.7

309.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$42.60 DJF 7,580

48.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$2.83 DJF 503

-60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$5.45 DJF 970

-81.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$27.59 DJF 4,910

-70.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$2.20 DJF 392

-33.64%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$34.0K DJF 6.1M

8.17%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$33.3K DJF 5.9M

-2.27%

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

$136 R 2,185

$523 DJF 93.1K

-74.08%

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

$35.72 R 575

$31.97 DJF 5,688

11.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$60.2 DJF 10.7K

-31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$87.4 DJF 15.5K

-59.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$28.67 DJF 5,101

-56.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$12.85 DJF 2,286

-40.70%

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

$231 R 3,725

$333 DJF 59.3K

-30.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$8,911 DJF 1.6M

-35.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$42.77 DJF 7,610

31.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$19.88 DJF 3,537

70.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$124 DJF 22.0K

-17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$56.0 DJF 9,957

66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$679 DJF 120.8K

-25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$487 DJF 86.7K

-14.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$994 DJF 176.9K

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$1,261 DJF 224.3K

-33.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$12.9K DJF 2.3M

-91.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$6,165 DJF 1.1M

-87.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$2,818 DJF 501.4K

-44.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

13.07

-14.00%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $341 in Djibouti. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $682 in Djibouti.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $2,786 in Djibouti. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in South Africa.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 79% higher in Djibouti, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Djibouti.

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 Djibouti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Djibouti is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 22% 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 Djibouti, contributing to the overall 22% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Djibouti, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Djibouti 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.