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 $736 in Eritrea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $1,089 in Eritrea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,442 in Eritrea, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 39% higher than in 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

$9.14 R 151

$12.34 ERN 185

-25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 646

$29.43 ERN 442

32.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.6

$5.46 ERN 82.1

-4.95%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.63

$0.74 ERN 11.18

167.57%

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

$1.00 R 16.52

$1.80 ERN 27.02

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.97

$1.36 ERN 20.38

-41.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.50

$1.03 ERN 15.48

114.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.45

$1.97 ERN 29.61

30.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.50

$1.64 ERN 24.69

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.96

$0.52 ERN 7.80

86.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.47

$1.96 ERN 29.52

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.10

$4.58 ERN 68.9

-50.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$2.95 ERN 44.38

166.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.6

$26.54 ERN 399

-82.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$9.81 ERN 147

-31.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.98

$12.18 ERN 183

-87.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.27

$1.29 ERN 19.45

13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.10

$1.90 ERN 28.59

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.91

$1.20 ERN 18.00

25.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.79

$1.78 ERN 26.68

-29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.04

$1.06 ERN 15.88

19.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.93

$0.66 ERN 9.89

65.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.00

$2.11 ERN 31.64

-54.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.81

$2.05 ERN 30.87

38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.9

$11.77 ERN 177

-55.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.84

$1.02 ERN 15.31

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.36

$1.18 ERN 17.79

45.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.42

$0.11 ERN 1.71

1463.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 730

$7.95 ERN 120

456.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.01

$0.64 ERN 9.68

79.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.59

$0.60 ERN 9.05

78.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.2

$8.24 ERN 124

-42.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.18

$2.13 ERN 31.96

-39.91%

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

$20.4K R 336.1K

$67.4K ERN 1.0M

-69.79%

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

$24.0K R 395.8K

$70.6K ERN 1.1M

-66.03%

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

$113 R 1,864

$27.99 ERN 421

303.47%

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

$32.35 R 534

$68.8 ERN 1,034

-52.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 684

$198 ERN 2,978

-79.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 512

$26.52 ERN 399

17.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

$7.42 ERN 112

31.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$1.12 ERN 16.89

495.54%

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

$186 R 3,063

$25.09 ERN 377

639.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.6K

$1,659 ERN 24.9K

165.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 828

$81.1 ERN 1,219

-38.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 501

$76.4 ERN 1,149

-60.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,541

$199 ERN 2,990

-53.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,327

$93.6 ERN 1,406

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,239

$469 ERN 7,049

-6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,136

$403 ERN 6,063

-7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$731 ERN 11.0K

23.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$640 ERN 9,621

10.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.4K

$1,243 ERN 18.7K

-10.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$2,254 ERN 33.9K

-64.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$504 ERN 7,573

198.86%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $238 in Eritrea. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $476 in Asmara.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $997 in Eritrea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 133% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 52% 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 Eritrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eritrea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 47% 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 47% 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.