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

Name: Gabon
Address: GA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in South Africa versus $783 in Gabon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $1,279 in Gabon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $1,774 in Gabon.

Living in South Africa is roughly 46% more expensive than in Gabon on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Gabon 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$17.69 FCFA 9,993

-36.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$71.0 FCFA 40.1K

-37.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$16.21 FCFA 9,159

-63.60%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$6.30 FCFA 3,557

-61.27%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.82 FCFA 1,027

-36.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.49 FCFA 845

-35.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$1.04 FCFA 585

146.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$1.97 FCFA 1,115

56.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$3.10 FCFA 1,751

-58.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.22 FCFA 691

-7.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$4.00 FCFA 2,258

-54.25%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$5.33 FCFA 3,009

-52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$10.83 FCFA 6,118

-22.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$8.69 FCFA 4,910

-37.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$26.89 FCFA 15.2K

-70.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$3.07 FCFA 1,736

-38.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$3.88 FCFA 2,194

-56.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$3.63 FCFA 2,051

-50.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$3.64 FCFA 2,058

-48.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$3.05 FCFA 1,725

-49.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$4.48 FCFA 2,529

-66.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$2.14 FCFA 1,212

-37.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.66 FCFA 935

-28.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$2.63 FCFA 1,487

29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$12.03 FCFA 6,797

-57.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$0.94 FCFA 530

60.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.31 FCFA 738

54.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.87 FCFA 494

102.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$49.07 FCFA 27.7K

28.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$1.30 FCFA 736

-13.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$0.78 FCFA 440

29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$18.02 FCFA 10.2K

-55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.11 FCFA 625

31.53%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$30.3K FCFA 17.1M

21.60%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$23.1K FCFA 13.1M

40.62%

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

$136 R 2,185

$87.1 FCFA 49.2K

55.83%

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

$35.72 R 575

$35.83 FCFA 20.2K

-0.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$66.9 FCFA 37.8K

-38.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$66.8 FCFA 37.7K

-47.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$27.09 FCFA 15.3K

-54.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$4.54 FCFA 2,567

67.84%

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

$231 R 3,725

$178 FCFA 100.4K

30.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$5,691 FCFA 3.2M

0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$87.0 FCFA 49.1K

-35.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$43.86 FCFA 24.8K

-22.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$53.3 FCFA 30.1K

90.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$107 FCFA 60.5K

-13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$1,064 FCFA 600.9K

-52.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$447 FCFA 252.4K

-6.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$2,136 FCFA 1.2M

-54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$899 FCFA 508.0K

-6.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$3,723 FCFA 2.1M

-69.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$2,886 FCFA 1.6M

-72.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$454 FCFA 256.5K

242.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

11.5

-2.26%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Gabon: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $445 in South Africa, $526 in Gabon. Capital cities: $324 in Bloemfontein vs $1,052 in Libreville.

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $443 in Gabon. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in Gabon.

Dining out costs 11% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 41% more expensive in Gabon.

Salaries are 251% 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 Gabon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $784 per month in Gabon and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 57% 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 Gabon: 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 Gabon across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Gabon, $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: Gabon wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.