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

Name: Eritrea
Address: ER

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $742 in Eritrea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $1,088 in Eritrea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,433 in Eritrea, rent included.

South Africa costs about 37% more than Eritrea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Eritrea are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Eritrea 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 148

$12.48 ERN 188

-27.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 644

$30.12 ERN 453

31.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.6

$5.41 ERN 81.3

-8.69%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.60

$0.79 ERN 11.93

160.76%

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

$0.95 R 15.46

$1.80 ERN 27.07

-47.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.19

$1.31 ERN 19.68

-38.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.05

$1.01 ERN 15.19

118.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.50

$2.03 ERN 30.58

22.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.14

$1.64 ERN 24.60

-32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.71

$0.51 ERN 7.69

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.39

$1.99 ERN 29.95

-21.61%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.21

$4.44 ERN 66.7

-47.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$2.92 ERN 43.90

164.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.4

$26.91 ERN 404

-83.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 110

$9.81 ERN 147

-31.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.50

$12.28 ERN 185

-87.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.32

$1.25 ERN 18.77

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.58

$1.94 ERN 29.23

-25.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.65

$1.21 ERN 18.14

24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.89

$1.81 ERN 27.19

-32.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.83

$1.04 ERN 15.65

23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.96

$0.64 ERN 9.58

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.27

$2.13 ERN 31.94

-55.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.75

$2.05 ERN 30.84

45.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 84.2

$11.76 ERN 177

-56.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.65

$1.02 ERN 15.26

36.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.04

$1.14 ERN 17.15

45.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.59

$0.14 ERN 2.04

1064.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 735

$8.10 ERN 122

456.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.48

$0.69 ERN 10.35

63.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.00

$0.60 ERN 9.05

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 79.3

$8.23 ERN 124

-40.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.23

$2.15 ERN 32.27

-42.33%

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

$20.3K R 331.6K

$67.7K ERN 1.0M

-69.97%

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

$23.5K R 383.0K

$71.4K ERN 1.1M

-67.12%

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

$113 R 1,851

$27.37 ERN 411

314.43%

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

$32.36 R 528

$68.8 ERN 1,034

-52.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 676

$201 ERN 3,022

-79.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 516

$26.62 ERN 400

18.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 157

$7.31 ERN 110

31.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$1.08 ERN 16.26

532.41%

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

$187 R 3,052

$24.57 ERN 369

661.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 71.2K

$1,699 ERN 25.5K

156.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 808

$80.9 ERN 1,215

-38.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 496

$74.8 ERN 1,124

-59.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,496

$199 ERN 2,996

-54.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,287

$94.2 ERN 1,416

-16.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,205

$474 ERN 7,120

-6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,988

$408 ERN 6,125

-9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$715 ERN 10.7K

23.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$647 ERN 9,722

11.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.8K

$1,245 ERN 18.7K

-12.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

-65.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.4K

$490 ERN 7,365

217.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-3.75%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $233 in Eritrea. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $467 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 133% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive 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 Eritrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% 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 Eritrea, contributing to the overall 46% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eritrea, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eritrea 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.