Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Eswatini

Name: Eswatini
Address: SZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Eswatini: $730 a month against $1,214 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Eswatini
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Eswatini Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,214

/mo nomad

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Eswatini

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Africa and in Eswatini actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,214 per month in South Africa vs $730 in Eswatini, rent included.

South Africa $1,214
Eswatini $730

A couple spends around $1,908 per month in South Africa vs $1,247 in Eswatini, rent included.

South Africa $1,908
Eswatini $1,247

A family of three spends $2,602 per month in South Africa vs $1,763 in Eswatini, rent included.

South Africa $2,602
Eswatini $1,763

The cost of living in South Africa is about 66% higher than in Eswatini on average.

Both South Africa and Eswatini are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 10% lower, Eswatini 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 R 184

$5.69 SZL 93.6

96.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.79 R 705

$32.19 SZL 530

32.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 R 94.8

$5.88 SZL 96.7

-2.21%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.68

$2.03 SZL 33.38

15.76%

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

$1.14 R 18.73

$0.96 SZL 15.82

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.23

$0.51 SZL 8.32

68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 R 39.19

$1.86 SZL 30.63

27.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R 50.6

$1.96 SZL 32.19

56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.13

$1.26 SZL 20.73

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.10

$0.97 SZL 16.05

13.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.66

$1.65 SZL 27.18

5.45%

Eggs

$2.61 R 42.98

$1.62 SZL 26.63

61.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 R 139

$13.55 SZL 223

-37.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R 85.1

$6.66 SZL 110

-22.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 129

$4.98 SZL 82.0

56.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.52

$2.37 SZL 39.04

-24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.87

$0.67 SZL 10.98

161.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.50

$1.49 SZL 24.52

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.47

$1.38 SZL 22.67

29.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.75

$1.54 SZL 25.30

-6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.97

$1.57 SZL 25.88

-3.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.59

$0.72 SZL 11.88

73.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.18

$0.82 SZL 13.55

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 R 56.5

$2.98 SZL 49.00

15.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 R 80.7

$5.30 SZL 87.3

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R 25.21

$0.88 SZL 14.56

73.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.96

$1.38 SZL 22.69

44.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 R 25.85

$0.75 SZL 12.39

109.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 R 983

$24.40 SZL 402

144.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R 17.58

$1.86 SZL 30.61

-42.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 R 17.17

$1.55 SZL 25.56

-32.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 R 128

$3.44 SZL 56.7

125.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.75

$1.26 SZL 20.69

19.05%

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

$36.4K R 600.2K

$14.4K SZL 237.8K

152.13%

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

$33.1K R 545.0K

$16.8K SZL 276.7K

96.80%

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

$132 R 2,172

$82.8 SZL 1,363

59.21%

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

$35.19 R 580

$34.56 SZL 569

1.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.82 R 656

$27.58 SZL 454

44.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.82 R 557

$21.11 SZL 347

60.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 R 191

$2.80 SZL 46.15

314.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 118

$3.74 SZL 61.6

91.18%

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

$227 R 3,740

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,604 R 92.3K

$6,360 SZL 104.7K

-11.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$34.82 SZL 573

52.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 R 568

$19.45 SZL 320

77.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,680

$71.4 SZL 1,176

42.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 R 1,482

$54.9 SZL 904

63.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 R 8,036

$205 SZL 3,371

138.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,634

$140 SZL 2,311

186.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 R 15.8K

$605 SZL 9,949

58.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 R 13.6K

$451 SZL 7,425

82.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,115 R 18.4K

$343 SZL 5,642

225.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 R 13.2K

$257 SZL 4,237

211.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,482 R 24.4K

$690 SZL 11.4K

114.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

9.12

23.14%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Last update for Eswatini: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$403 33.2%

Eswatini

$140 19.2% 65.1% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17%

Eswatini

$145 19.9% 29.9% $62

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$198 16.3%

Eswatini

$191 26.2% 3.2% $6.3

Eating Out

South Africa

$161 13.3%

Eswatini

$107 14.6% 33.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Eswatini

$81 11.1% 35.4% $44

Getting Around

South Africa

$72 6%

Eswatini

$37 5.1% 48.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$48 4%

Eswatini

$29 3.9% 40.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $429 in South Africa vs $113 in Eswatini. For reference, capital cities sit at $455 in Pretoria and $273 in Mbabane.

Average salary: $1,501 in South Africa vs $638 in Eswatini. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 280% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 225% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 135% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇸🇿 Eswatini

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

Same time as South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

1,230,506

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Eswatini 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Eswatini

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Eswatini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eswatini is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $429 versus $113 in Eswatini.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Eswatini, adding to the overall 66% price gap.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eswatini, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eswatini 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.