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 $1,019 per month in South Africa vs $728 in Eritrea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in South Africa vs $1,075 in Eritrea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,168 per month in South Africa vs $1,422 in Eritrea, rent included.

South Africa costs about 40% 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 46% lower.

Eritrea has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,455) than South Africa ($817–$1,336), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Eritrea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R 143

$12.23 ERN 183

-28.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.43 R 647

$30.10 ERN 452

31.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 R 84.6

$5.59 ERN 83.9

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.30

$0.74 ERN 11.15

174.32%

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

$1.03 R 16.93

$1.79 ERN 26.83

-42.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.91

$1.32 ERN 19.79

-40.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 37.76

$1.01 ERN 15.20

127.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 R 41.84

$1.99 ERN 29.80

28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.27

$1.63 ERN 24.50

-31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.03

$0.52 ERN 7.77

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.33

$1.95 ERN 29.28

-21.03%

Eggs

$2.24 R 36.79

$4.58 ERN 68.7

-51.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 129

$3.08 ERN 46.27

155.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 R 77.7

$26.44 ERN 397

-82.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 R 109

$10.11 ERN 152

-34.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.82

$12.08 ERN 181

-87.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.07

$1.31 ERN 19.64

7.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.46

$1.93 ERN 28.92

-22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$1.25 ERN 18.82

24.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.59

$1.81 ERN 27.15

-34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.26

$1.10 ERN 16.48

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 17.10

$0.70 ERN 10.54

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.78

$2.16 ERN 32.41

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R 47.96

$2.04 ERN 30.67

43.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 78.8

$11.84 ERN 178

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.89

$0.99 ERN 14.81

34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.25

$1.14 ERN 17.06

50.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 R 27.89

$0.15 ERN 2.22

1033.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.20 R 741

$7.84 ERN 118

476.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 17.92

$0.68 ERN 10.27

60.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 R 17.23

$0.64 ERN 9.64

64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 R 77.6

$8.49 ERN 127

-44.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.23

$2.14 ERN 32.15

-39.72%

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

$21.1K R 345.3K

$67.4K ERN 1.0M

-68.77%

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

$23.6K R 386.6K

$69.4K ERN 1.0M

-66.05%

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

$112 R 1,830

$27.68 ERN 415

303.03%

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

$31.97 R 524

$68.4 ERN 1,026

-53.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.41 R 663

$201 ERN 3,020

-79.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 R 522

$26.54 ERN 398

20.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.68 R 159

$7.72 ERN 116

25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 R 109

$1.13 ERN 16.99

487.61%

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

$190 R 3,119

$25.25 ERN 379

653.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,317 R 70.8K

$1,656 ERN 24.8K

160.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.50 R 795

$81.9 ERN 1,229

-40.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 R 500

$74.7 ERN 1,121

-59.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 R 1,546

$199 ERN 2,989

-52.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R 1,335

$95.6 ERN 1,434

-14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 R 7,425

$469 ERN 7,040

-3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 R 6,084

$398 ERN 5,965

-6.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 R 14.5K

$713 ERN 10.7K

23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$655 ERN 9,820

7.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,147 R 18.8K

$1,288 ERN 19.3K

-10.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 R 13.4K

$1,870 ERN 28.0K

-56.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,476 R 24.2K

$509 ERN 7,633

190.14%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $236 in Eritrea. For reference, capital cities sit at $397 in Pretoria and $473 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 119% 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 48% 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 48% 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.