Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Ivory Coast Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Ivory Coast

Name: Ivory Coast
Address: CI

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,021 per month in South Africa vs $750 in Ivory Coast, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in South Africa vs $1,189 in Ivory Coast, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in South Africa vs $1,628 in Ivory Coast, rent included.

South Africa costs about 36% more than Ivory Coast on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Ivory Coast are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Ivory Coast 44% lower.

Ivory Coast has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,342) than South Africa ($804–$1,352), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Ivory Coast.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.20 R 152

$3.48 F CFA 1,945

164.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.46 R 633

$60.9 F CFA 34.1K

-36.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 R 84.2

$10.41 F CFA 5,827

-50.91%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.38

$2.09 F CFA 1,172

-2.87%

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

$0.95 R 15.60

$0.82 F CFA 459

15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.06

$0.86 F CFA 480

-8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R 37.97

$1.03 F CFA 575

124.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 R 40.48

$1.72 F CFA 963

43.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.77

$2.44 F CFA 1,368

-55.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.85

$0.64 F CFA 357

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.41

$1.13 F CFA 630

41.59%

Eggs

$2.32 R 38.28

$2.33 F CFA 1,301

-0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 R 123

$17.88 F CFA 10.0K

-58.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 R 75.2

$8.23 F CFA 4,602

-44.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$6.46 F CFA 3,612

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.06

$3.59 F CFA 2,009

-55.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.90

$1.11 F CFA 621

30.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.78

$2.05 F CFA 1,148

-26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.45

$1.88 F CFA 1,052

-17.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.83

$1.55 F CFA 867

-18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R 21.23

$1.77 F CFA 990

-27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.88 F CFA 495

21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.87

$0.84 F CFA 469

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R 48.11

$1.75 F CFA 978

66.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 R 82.2

$6.51 F CFA 3,644

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.87

$1.10 F CFA 615

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.62

$1.43 F CFA 798

17.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.32

$0.86 F CFA 482

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.17 R 744

$48.94 F CFA 27.4K

-7.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.27

$1.79 F CFA 1,004

-37.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 R 17.48

$1.62 F CFA 904

-34.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 R 79.8

$26.99 F CFA 15.1K

-82.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.47

$1.49 F CFA 835

-16.78%

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

$21.0K R 346.4K

$31.7K F CFA 17.7M

-33.67%

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

$24.1K R 396.6K

$29.1K F CFA 16.3M

-17.25%

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

$112 R 1,846

$181 F CFA 101.3K

-38.09%

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

$31.87 R 525

$35.55 F CFA 19.9K

-10.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.80 R 672

$47.68 F CFA 26.7K

-14.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.46 R 518

$79.5 F CFA 44.5K

-60.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.71 R 160

$22.06 F CFA 12.3K

-55.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 110

$8.66 F CFA 4,843

-22.86%

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

$192 R 3,159

$287 F CFA 160.5K

-33.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,306 R 70.9K

$3,306 F CFA 1.8M

30.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.12 R 809

$89.1 F CFA 49.8K

-44.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.89 R 509

$54.3 F CFA 30.4K

-43.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 R 1,535

$87.0 F CFA 48.7K

7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,295

$144 F CFA 80.8K

-45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 R 7,426

$589 F CFA 329.3K

-23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,033

$352 F CFA 197.1K

3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 R 14.6K

$1,855 F CFA 1.0M

-52.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 R 11.7K

$932 F CFA 521.5K

-23.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,148 R 18.9K

$2,310 F CFA 1.3M

-50.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 R 13.3K

$712 F CFA 398.1K

13.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,467 R 24.2K

$203 F CFA 113.4K

623.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

14.5

-20.34%

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

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ivory Coast: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $153 in Ivory Coast. For reference, capital cities sit at $762 in Cape Town and $0 in Yamoussoukro.

Average salary: $1,458 in South Africa vs $207 in Ivory Coast. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 141% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 23% more in Ivory Coast.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 604% 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 Ivory Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ivory Coast is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 61% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Ivory Coast, contributing to the overall 61% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ivory Coast, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ivory Coast is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.