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

Name: Liberia
Address: LR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $631 in Liberia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $956 in Liberia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $1,280 in Liberia, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 81% higher than in Liberia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Liberia are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Liberia 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$7.40 LRD 1,285

52.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$10.16 LRD 1,763

-41.93%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$3.03 LRD 526

-19.47%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$2.06 LRD 357

-43.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.99 LRD 345

-51.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$2.01 LRD 350

27.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$3.07 LRD 533

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$2.09 LRD 363

-38.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.82 LRD 316

-37.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$5.29 LRD 918

-65.41%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$3.71 LRD 643

-31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$7.52 LRD 1,306

11.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$11.75 LRD 2,040

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$13.60 LRD 2,361

-42.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$1.68 LRD 291

13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$8.42 LRD 1,462

-79.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$10.39 LRD 1,804

-82.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$10.88 LRD 1,888

-82.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$2.14 LRD 372

-28.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$10.71 LRD 1,859

-86.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$4.78 LRD 829

-72.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.98 LRD 343

-39.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$4.91 LRD 853

-30.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$6.93 LRD 1,203

-26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$2.55 LRD 443

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$3.57 LRD 620

-43.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$3.03 LRD 527

-41.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$12.83 LRD 2,228

391.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$1.97 LRD 342

-43.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$1.90 LRD 330

-46.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$25.34 LRD 4,399

-68.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.27 LRD 221

14.96%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$20.2K LRD 3.5M

81.94%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$15.1K LRD 2.6M

115.95%

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

$136 R 2,185

$151 LRD 26.2K

-9.99%

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

$35.72 R 575

$22.72 LRD 3,944

57.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$184 LRD 31.9K

-77.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$63.0 LRD 10.9K

-44.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$9.81 LRD 1,703

27.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$4.96 LRD 861

53.63%

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

$231 R 3,725

$99.8 LRD 17.3K

131.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$990 LRD 171.9K

478.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$24.86 LRD 4,316

126.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$32.60 LRD 5,660

4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$55.5 LRD 9,626

83.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$92.4 LRD 16.0K

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$251 LRD 43.5K

102.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$94.5 LRD 16.4K

341.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$663 LRD 115.0K

47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$269 LRD 46.7K

211.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$694 LRD 120.5K

123.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Liberia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $127 in Liberia. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $254 in Monrovia.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $689 in Liberia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 250% higher in South Africa.

Public transport is 70% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 125% 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 Liberia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liberia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 95% 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 Liberia, contributing to the overall 95% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Liberia 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.