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

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,144 in South Africa versus $1,792 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in South Africa versus $2,735 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,415 in South Africa versus $3,678 in Italy.

Living in South Africa costs about 36% less than in Italy on average.

South Africa (17% below) and Italy (30% above) straddle the global median.

South Africa ($636–$1,831) and Italy ($1,168–$2,645) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 R 176

$21.31 €18.39

-48.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.98 R 707

$81.6 €70.4

-46.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 96.7

$11.64 €10.04

-48.28%

Cappuccino

$2.46 R 39.47

$2.02 €1.75

21.78%

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

$1.15 R 18.40

$3.15 €2.72

-63.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.08

$1.45 €1.25

-35.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.31

$5.69 €4.91

-55.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R 50.7

$5.94 €5.13

-46.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.17

$1.69 €1.46

-25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.53

$2.48 €2.14

-53.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.65

$2.97 €2.56

-40.07%

Eggs

$2.63 R 42.26

$4.32 €3.73

-39.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 133

$17.42 €15.04

-52.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 85.7

$12.79 €11.04

-58.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 125

$21.28 €18.36

-63.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.48

$2.64 €2.28

-28.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.28

$2.21 €1.91

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.61

$2.79 €2.41

-38.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.01

$3.37 €2.91

-44.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.47

$2.10 €1.81

-27.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.10

$1.97 €1.70

-23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.13

$1.60 €1.38

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.70

$0.57 €0.49

103.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 53.4

$7.13 €6.15

-53.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.2

$7.59 €6.55

-31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.04

$1.85 €1.59

-15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 32.49

$2.50 €2.15

-19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 R 29.55

$2.00 €1.72

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 985

$45.09 €38.91

36.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.20

$5.80 €5.00

-80.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.39

$1.79 €1.54

-49.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 R 123

$34.95 €30.16

-78.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.19

$2.13 €1.83

-32.39%

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

$36.5K R 587.1K

$37.4K €32.2K

-2.17%

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

$32.1K R 515.2K

$36.3K €31.3K

-11.68%

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

$132 R 2,118

$239 €206

-44.76%

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

$35.05 R 563

$12.14 €10.48

188.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.77 R 655

$31.42 €27.11

29.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 R 547

$54.9 €47.40

-38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 R 194

$24.84 €21.44

-51.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 R 119

$10.92 €9.43

-31.87%

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

$232 R 3,727

$568 €490

-59.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,509 R 88.5K

$12.2K €10.6K

-54.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 R 867

$93.7 €80.8

-42.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 R 563

$40.71 €35.13

-13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 R 1,674

$105 €90.5

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 R 1,430

$139 €120

-36.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R 8,003

$857 €740

-41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,718

$657 €567

-36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 R 15.9K

$1,476 €1,274

-32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 R 13.3K

$1,093 €943

-24.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,136 R 18.3K

$3,786 €3,267

-69.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$815 R 13.1K

$2,332 €2,012

-65.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,548 R 24.9K

$1,928 €1,664

-19.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

3.57

214.57%

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

Last update for South Africa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Italy: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $432 in South Africa, $758 in Italy. Capital cities: $333 in Bloemfontein vs $1,244 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,547 in South Africa, $1,967 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 90% more in Italy.

Public transport is 153% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 27% higher in Italy, 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,907 per month in Italy and $1,234 in South Africa, there's a 55% 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 South Africa: 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 Italy is consistently higher than in South Africa across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Africa, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: South Africa wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.