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

Name: Egypt
Address: EG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $453 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $729 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $1,005 in Egypt.

Living in South Africa is roughly 125% more expensive than Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Egypt 66% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $819 to $1,339, compared to $315–$684 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$4.03 E£209

124.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$19.90 E£1,031

98.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$5.08 E£263

-2.76%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$1.45 E£75.0

42.07%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.35 E£18.26

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.14 E£7.20

478.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.42 E£73.4

55.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.90 E£150

-14.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$0.91 E£47.07

21.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.62 E£32.26

64.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$0.67 E£34.55

132.84%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$1.51 E£78.0

54.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$3.13 E£162

146.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$4.34 E£225

3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$8.74 E£453

-23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$1.53 E£79.1

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$0.56 E£29.24

155.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$0.44 E£22.79

227.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$0.40 E£20.98

277.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$0.44 E£22.79

177.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$0.44 E£23.01

190.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.24 E£12.43

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.21 E£11.06

347.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.92 E£99.2

55.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$6.82 E£353

-24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.27 E£66.0

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.85 E£96.0

-10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.27 E£13.79

503.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$5.94 E£307

658.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$0.38 E£19.70

197.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.29 E£14.82

279.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$1.30 E£67.2

273.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$0.31 E£15.93

300.00%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$34.3K E£1.8M

-40.78%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$31.6K E£1.6M

-25.77%

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

$113 R 1,843

$21.84 E£1,131

419.37%

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

$32.36 R 526

$7.09 E£367

356.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$11.91 E£617

248.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$14.50 E£751

117.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$6.81 E£353

41.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$2.93 E£152

133.11%

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

$187 R 3,039

$87.8 E£4,546

113.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$1,934 E£100.2K

125.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$26.08 E£1,351

89.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$43.77 E£2,267

-30.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$109 E£5,627

-15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$51.8 E£2,684

52.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$163 E£8,434

171.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$101 E£5,237

262.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$320 E£16.6K

175.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$188 E£9,729

285.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$741 E£38.4K

47.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$453 E£23.5K

72.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$148 E£7,642

955.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

16.38

-29.49%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Egypt: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $205 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $145 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 101% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 119% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 700% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 948% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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 Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $500 per month in Egypt and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 116% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Egypt is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa beats Egypt across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Egypt, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In South Africa, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Egypt wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.