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 $841 in Gabon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $1,349 in Gabon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $1,856 in Gabon.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$17.70 FCFA 10.2K

-48.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$79.3 FCFA 45.5K

-50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$13.41 FCFA 7,691

-61.30%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$6.29 FCFA 3,605

-68.52%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.46 FCFA 837

-31.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$1.39 FCFA 799

-43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.03 FCFA 590

114.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$1.72 FCFA 986

49.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.97 FCFA 1,703

-62.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.53 FCFA 877

-36.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$4.36 FCFA 2,498

-64.68%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$5.55 FCFA 3,184

-59.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$9.32 FCFA 5,347

-15.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$9.02 FCFA 5,173

-49.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$26.08 FCFA 15.0K

-74.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$4.49 FCFA 2,576

-65.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$4.48 FCFA 2,567

-67.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$3.52 FCFA 2,017

-56.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$3.59 FCFA 2,060

-57.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$3.57 FCFA 2,050

-64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$3.58 FCFA 2,050

-64.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$3.63 FCFA 2,082

-69.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.97 FCFA 1,127

-50.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$2.60 FCFA 1,489

9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$11.73 FCFA 6,729

-55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$0.84 FCFA 480

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.75 FCFA 1,001

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.85 FCFA 486

102.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$48.66 FCFA 27.9K

-9.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$1.35 FCFA 776

-14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.79 FCFA 451

35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$17.36 FCFA 9,960

-72.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.09 FCFA 623

17.43%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$29.8K FCFA 17.1M

-31.71%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$23.2K FCFA 13.3M

3.29%

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

$113 R 1,869

$89.7 FCFA 51.4K

25.93%

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

$32.35 R 536

$35.17 FCFA 20.2K

-8.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$69.2 FCFA 39.7K

-40.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$65.6 FCFA 37.6K

-52.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$26.52 FCFA 15.2K

-63.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$4.38 FCFA 2,513

52.28%

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

$186 R 3,072

$177 FCFA 101.8K

4.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$5,701 FCFA 3.3M

-22.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$87.9 FCFA 50.4K

-42.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$44.76 FCFA 25.7K

-32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$53.9 FCFA 30.9K

73.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$106 FCFA 61.0K

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$1,152 FCFA 660.8K

-61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$538 FCFA 308.4K

-30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$2,598 FCFA 1.5M

-65.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$998 FCFA 572.5K

-29.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$3,656 FCFA 2.1M

-69.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$2,747 FCFA 1.6M

-71.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$437 FCFA 250.4K

244.92%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gabon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $565 in Gabon. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $1,129 in Libreville.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $442 in Gabon. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% higher in Gabon.

Dining out costs 14% more in Gabon.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Gabon.

Salaries are 242% 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 $841 per month in Gabon and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 29% 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, $2,000 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.