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: $1,144 in South Africa versus $452 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in South Africa versus $733 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,415 in South Africa versus $1,013 in Egypt.

Living in South Africa is roughly 153% more expensive than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Egypt 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $636 to $1,831, compared to $323–$754 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 R 176

$3.83 E£195

186.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.98 R 707

$19.84 E£1,012

121.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 96.7

$5.02 E£256

19.92%

Cappuccino

$2.46 R 39.47

$1.47 E£75.1

67.35%

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

$1.15 R 18.40

$0.34 E£17.46

238.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.08

$0.14 E£7.00

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.31

$1.47 E£74.9

70.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R 50.7

$3.04 E£155

3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.17

$0.92 E£46.70

36.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.53

$0.69 E£35.18

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.65

$0.66 E£33.80

169.70%

Eggs

$2.63 R 42.26

$1.37 E£69.6

91.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 133

$3.30 E£168

151.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 85.7

$4.39 E£224

21.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 125

$8.86 E£452

-11.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.48

$1.57 E£80.1

21.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.28

$0.71 E£36.37

139.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.61

$0.54 E£27.55

218.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.01

$0.44 E£22.67

325.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.47

$0.40 E£20.61

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.10

$0.42 E£21.19

257.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.13

$0.31 E£15.87

303.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.70

$0.20 E£10.18

480.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 53.4

$1.96 E£99.8

69.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.2

$7.06 E£360

-26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.04

$1.45 E£74.1

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 32.49

$2.15 E£110

-6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 R 29.55

$0.29 E£14.76

534.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 985

$8.26 E£421

642.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.20

$0.41 E£20.73

175.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.39

$0.31 E£16.01

190.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 R 123

$1.74 E£88.8

341.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.19

$0.46 E£23.35

213.04%

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

$36.5K R 587.1K

$33.1K E£1.7M

10.43%

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

$32.1K R 515.2K

$27.7K E£1.4M

15.68%

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

$132 R 2,118

$22.19 E£1,132

494.10%

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

$35.05 R 563

$7.25 E£370

383.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.77 R 655

$13.63 E£695

199.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 R 547

$18.10 E£923

88.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 R 194

$6.89 E£351

75.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 R 119

$2.98 E£152

149.66%

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

$232 R 3,727

$96.4 E£4,914

140.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,509 R 88.5K

$2,547 E£129.9K

116.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 R 867

$27.80 E£1,418

94.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 R 563

$44.35 E£2,262

-21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 R 1,674

$110 E£5,619

-5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 R 1,430

$50.3 E£2,564

77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R 8,003

$158 E£8,077

214.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,718

$94.5 E£4,821

342.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 R 15.9K

$306 E£15.6K

223.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 R 13.3K

$196 E£10.0K

322.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,136 R 18.3K

$763 E£38.9K

48.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$815 R 13.1K

$454 E£23.1K

79.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,548 R 24.9K

$155 E£7,919

896.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

16.46

-31.77%

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

Last update for South Africa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Egypt: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $432 in South Africa, $146 in Egypt. Capital cities: $333 in Bloemfontein vs $213 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $1,547 in South Africa, $140 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 196% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 135% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 1005% 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 $539 per month in Egypt and $1,234 in South Africa, there's a 129% 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.