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: $1,020 in South Africa versus $842 in Gabon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $1,370 in Gabon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $1,898 in Gabon.

Living in South Africa is roughly 21% more expensive than Gabon on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Gabon 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$17.80 FCFA 10.0K

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$80.5 FCFA 45.4K

-50.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$13.32 FCFA 7,510

-62.91%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$6.21 FCFA 3,503

-66.83%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.46 FCFA 821

-34.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$1.44 FCFA 812

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.08 FCFA 607

104.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$1.63 FCFA 920

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$2.99 FCFA 1,687

-62.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.45 FCFA 820

-29.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$4.22 FCFA 2,381

-63.03%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$5.41 FCFA 3,052

-56.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$9.49 FCFA 5,350

-18.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$9.06 FCFA 5,108

-50.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$26.88 FCFA 15.2K

-74.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$4.37 FCFA 2,463

-64.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$4.39 FCFA 2,474

-67.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$3.45 FCFA 1,948

-58.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$3.63 FCFA 2,045

-58.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$3.44 FCFA 1,940

-64.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$3.48 FCFA 1,964

-63.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$3.60 FCFA 2,030

-71.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$1.92 FCFA 1,081

-51.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$2.59 FCFA 1,461

15.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$11.96 FCFA 6,744

-56.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$0.85 FCFA 478

63.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.80 FCFA 1,017

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.84 FCFA 476

94.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$49.43 FCFA 27.9K

-8.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.35 FCFA 763

-16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.77 FCFA 434

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$17.65 FCFA 9,956

-72.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.04 FCFA 589

19.23%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$29.9K FCFA 16.8M

-31.96%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$23.3K FCFA 13.1M

0.92%

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

$113 R 1,843

$88.6 FCFA 50.0K

28.05%

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

$32.36 R 526

$34.59 FCFA 19.5K

-6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$70.3 FCFA 39.6K

-41.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$65.0 FCFA 36.7K

-51.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$26.52 FCFA 15.0K

-63.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$4.54 FCFA 2,562

50.44%

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

$187 R 3,039

$176 FCFA 99.3K

6.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$5,658 FCFA 3.2M

-22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$86.6 FCFA 48.8K

-42.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$43.37 FCFA 24.5K

-29.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$53.1 FCFA 29.9K

72.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$104 FCFA 58.7K

-24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$1,125 FCFA 634.6K

-60.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$528 FCFA 297.6K

-30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$2,694 FCFA 1.5M

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$1,004 FCFA 566.1K

-27.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$3,718 FCFA 2.1M

-70.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$2,845 FCFA 1.6M

-72.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$442 FCFA 249.3K

252.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

15.50%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gabon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $581 in Gabon. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $1,162 in Libreville.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $435 in Gabon. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in Gabon.

Dining out costs 14% more in Gabon.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Gabon.

Salaries are 249% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 $842 per month in Gabon and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 28% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Gabon is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In South Africa, it works in regional areas but 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.