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 $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $1,014 in Djibouti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $1,644 in Djibouti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $2,274 in Djibouti, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 1% 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 24% lower, Djibouti 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$9.63 DJF 1,714

-5.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$81.2 DJF 14.4K

-51.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$12.43 DJF 2,211

-58.25%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$3.74 DJF 664

-47.06%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.96 DJF 348

-48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$1.92 DJF 342

-58.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$5.59 DJF 994

-60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$8.53 DJF 1,517

-69.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.57 DJF 458

-56.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$9.17 DJF 1,631

-89.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$3.69 DJF 656

-58.27%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$6.76 DJF 1,203

-66.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$9.68 DJF 1,722

-18.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$18.15 DJF 3,228

-74.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$12.18 DJF 2,166

-45.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$3.70 DJF 658

-57.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.26 DJF 224

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$2.90 DJF 515

-47.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.63 DJF 290

-7.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.24 DJF 221

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.40 DJF 249

-9.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$5.73 DJF 1,019

-80.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.58 DJF 103

67.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$2.72 DJF 484

4.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$20.97 DJF 3,731

-75.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.33 DJF 414

-40.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$3.56 DJF 634

-51.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.27 DJF 47.49

537.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$21.18 DJF 3,767

108.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$2.76 DJF 491

-58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$5.64 DJF 1,003

-81.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$28.01 DJF 4,982

-83.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.76 DJF 314

-27.27%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$33.6K DJF 6.0M

-39.31%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$32.5K DJF 5.8M

-26.14%

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

$113 R 1,869

$512 DJF 91.1K

-77.96%

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

$32.35 R 536

$31.87 DJF 5,668

1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$58.6 DJF 10.4K

-29.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$86.7 DJF 15.4K

-64.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$24.03 DJF 4,274

-59.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$8.70 DJF 1,548

-23.33%

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

$186 R 3,072

$333 DJF 59.2K

-44.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$8,786 DJF 1.6M

-49.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$42.64 DJF 7,584

17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$19.94 DJF 3,547

52.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$123 DJF 21.9K

-24.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$56.5 DJF 10.0K

42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$1,410 DJF 250.8K

-68.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$480 DJF 85.4K

-22.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$983 DJF 174.8K

-8.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$1,503 DJF 267.4K

-53.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$12.8K DJF 2.3M

-91.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$6,134 DJF 1.1M

-87.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$2,790 DJF 496.3K

-46.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

9.6

20.31%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $720 in Djibouti. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $1,439 in Djibouti.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $2,881 in Djibouti. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 17% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 45% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 90% 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 7% 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 7% 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.