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 $455 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $730 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $1,004 in Egypt.

Living in South Africa is roughly 124% more expensive than in 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 $803 to $1,362, compared to $317–$705 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 150

$3.89 E£197

134.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 643

$19.99 E£1,010

95.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.3

$4.89 E£247

6.13%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.50

$1.42 E£71.6

39.44%

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

$1.00 R 16.45

$0.33 E£16.56

203.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.92

$0.14 E£6.86

464.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.36

$1.37 E£69.1

61.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.28

$2.99 E£151

-14.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.43

$0.85 E£42.93

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.90

$0.63 E£31.69

53.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.37

$0.66 E£33.43

133.33%

Eggs

$2.25 R 36.96

$1.45 E£73.4

55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 129

$3.15 E£159

149.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.3

$4.33 E£219

5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$8.42 E£425

-20.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.88

$1.45 E£73.2

8.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

$0.57 E£28.77

157.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.00

$0.48 E£24.14

216.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.81

$0.41 E£20.52

268.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.71

$0.48 E£24.29

162.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.96

$0.44 E£22.46

188.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.86

$0.24 E£12.12

354.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.93

$0.19 E£9.65

410.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.62

$1.99 E£100

42.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.5

$6.79 E£343

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.74

$1.30 E£65.7

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.24

$1.87 E£94.3

-8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.30

$0.29 E£14.83

493.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 727

$6.17 E£311

616.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.93

$0.39 E£19.52

194.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.51

$0.31 E£15.74

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 77.8

$1.25 E£63.2

279.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.09

$0.31 E£15.57

312.90%

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

$20.4K R 334.8K

$34.3K E£1.7M

-40.67%

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

$24.0K R 394.3K

$30.9K E£1.6M

-22.38%

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

$113 R 1,856

$21.05 E£1,063

436.48%

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

$32.35 R 532

$7.02 E£354

360.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 682

$11.61 E£586

257.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 510

$14.78 E£746

110.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

$6.97 E£352

39.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$2.89 E£146

130.80%

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

$186 R 3,051

$86.0 E£4,344

115.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.3K

$1,931 E£97.5K

127.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 824

$26.03 E£1,315

92.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 499

$43.67 E£2,205

-30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,535

$107 E£5,417

-12.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,322

$51.4 E£2,594

56.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,210

$163 E£8,208

169.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,112

$102 E£5,138

265.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.8K

$319 E£16.1K

182.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$189 E£9,533

273.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.3K

$773 E£39.0K

44.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.0K

$449 E£22.7K

76.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.8K

$155 E£7,813

873.31%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Egypt: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $207 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $142 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 965% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 $511 per month in Egypt and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 112% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Egypt: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.