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 $1,008 in Djibouti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $1,634 in Djibouti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $2,260 in Djibouti, rent included.

South Africa costs about 1% more than 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 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$9.65 DJF 1,716

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$81.8 DJF 14.5K

-51.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$12.56 DJF 2,232

-60.67%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$3.75 DJF 667

-45.07%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.95 DJF 346

-51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$1.90 DJF 337

-57.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$5.51 DJF 979

-59.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$8.54 DJF 1,517

-70.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$2.49 DJF 442

-55.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$9.17 DJF 1,630

-88.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$3.75 DJF 666

-58.40%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$6.73 DJF 1,197

-65.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$9.29 DJF 1,652

-16.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$18.32 DJF 3,257

-75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$12.03 DJF 2,139

-44.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$3.73 DJF 662

-58.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.25 DJF 222

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.80 DJF 497

-48.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$1.58 DJF 280

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.19 DJF 212

2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.35 DJF 240

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$5.73 DJF 1,019

-81.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.57 DJF 102

64.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$2.64 DJF 468

13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$21.49 DJF 3,820

-75.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$2.33 DJF 414

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$3.60 DJF 639

-53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.29 DJF 52.0

462.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$21.19 DJF 3,767

112.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$2.78 DJF 494

-59.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$5.44 DJF 967

-79.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$27.92 DJF 4,963

-82.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.68 DJF 299

-26.19%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$33.8K DJF 6.0M

-39.94%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$33.0K DJF 5.9M

-28.98%

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

$113 R 1,843

$531 DJF 94.4K

-78.64%

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

$32.36 R 526

$31.64 DJF 5,625

2.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$58.7 DJF 10.4K

-29.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$85.4 DJF 15.2K

-62.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$23.77 DJF 4,226

-59.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$8.24 DJF 1,465

-17.11%

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

$187 R 3,039

$342 DJF 60.8K

-45.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$8,745 DJF 1.6M

-50.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$42.01 DJF 7,467

17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$20.08 DJF 3,570

51.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$122 DJF 21.8K

-25.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$57.3 DJF 10.2K

37.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$1,460 DJF 259.6K

-69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$474 DJF 84.2K

-22.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,002 DJF 178.1K

-11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$1,464 DJF 260.3K

-50.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$12.4K DJF 2.2M

-91.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$6,167 DJF 1.1M

-87.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$2,815 DJF 500.4K

-44.67%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $720 in Djibouti. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $1,440 in Djibouti.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $2,814 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 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 85% higher in Djibouti, giving Djibouti stronger purchasing power.

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.