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: $1,020 in South Africa versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $3,530 in Italy.

Living in South Africa costs about 41% less than in Italy on average.

South Africa (24% below) and Italy (28% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $819–$1,339 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$17.44 €15.00

-48.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$79.5 €68.4

-50.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$11.76 €10.11

-57.99%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$2.00 €1.72

3.00%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$3.00 €2.58

-68.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$1.35 €1.16

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$5.94 €5.11

-62.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$5.36 €4.61

-53.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.64 €1.41

-32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$2.41 €2.07

-57.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$2.99 €2.58

-47.83%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$3.96 €3.41

-40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$16.84 €14.49

-54.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$12.43 €10.69

-63.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$20.29 €17.46

-66.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.47 €2.13

-36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$2.15 €1.85

-33.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.65 €2.28

-45.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$3.40 €2.92

-55.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.92 €1.65

-36.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.81 €1.56

-29.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$1.55 €1.33

-32.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.54 €0.46

74.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$6.79 €5.84

-55.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$7.18 €6.18

-28.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.80 €1.55

-22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$2.42 €2.08

-31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$2.00 €1.72

-18.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$42.35 €36.43

6.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$5.94 €5.11

-80.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.51 €1.30

-27.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$34.04 €29.28

-85.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$2.05 €1.76

-39.51%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$32.8K €28.2K

-38.13%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$33.7K €29.0K

-30.32%

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

$113 R 1,843

$225 €194

-49.68%

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

$32.36 R 526

$13.25 €11.40

144.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$30.95 €26.62

33.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$55.7 €47.95

-43.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$25.15 €21.63

-61.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$10.25 €8.82

-33.37%

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

$187 R 3,039

$576 €495

-67.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$10.5K €8,998

-58.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$91.8 €79.0

-46.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$40.72 €35.03

-25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$98.0 €84.3

-6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$131 €112

-39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$860 €740

-48.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$667 €573

-44.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,475 €1,269

-40.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$1,087 €935

-33.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$3,850 €3,312

-71.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$2,359 €2,029

-66.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$1,933 €1,663

-19.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

4.41

161.90%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $1,949 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 102% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 111% more in Italy.

Public transport is 175% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 28% higher in Italy, 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 70% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

South Africa 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 Italy beats 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, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In Italy, 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. South Africa wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.