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 $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $696 in Liberia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $1,235 in Liberia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,773 in Liberia, rent included.

South Africa costs about 47% more than 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 24% lower, Liberia 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$7.61 LRD 1,383

18.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$148 LRD 26.9K

-73.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$10.99 LRD 1,997

-55.05%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$3.25 LRD 591

-36.62%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$2.05 LRD 373

-53.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$2.71 LRD 493

-70.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$2.80 LRD 509

-21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.97 LRD 539

-16.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$2.15 LRD 390

-48.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.81 LRD 328

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$5.02 LRD 912

-68.92%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$3.63 LRD 660

-35.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$12.00 LRD 2,181

-35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$12.01 LRD 2,182

-62.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$35.94 LRD 6,531

-81.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$1.61 LRD 292

-3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$8.37 LRD 1,521

-82.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$10.40 LRD 1,889

-86.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$10.98 LRD 1,996

-86.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$2.32 LRD 421

-47.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$10.57 LRD 1,920

-87.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$4.75 LRD 862

-78.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$2.04 LRD 371

-53.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$5.02 LRD 913

-40.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$6.80 LRD 1,236

-24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$2.55 LRD 463

-45.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$3.28 LRD 595

-49.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$2.94 LRD 533

-44.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$12.56 LRD 2,282

258.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$2.70 LRD 491

-58.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.22 LRD 221

-9.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$17.75 LRD 3,224

-72.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.22 LRD 222

1.64%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$12.6K LRD 2.3M

61.19%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$14.8K LRD 2.7M

58.11%

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

$113 R 1,843

$269 LRD 48.8K

-57.77%

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

$32.36 R 526

$22.92 LRD 4,164

41.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$93.8 LRD 17.0K

-55.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$75.7 LRD 13.7K

-58.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$8.19 LRD 1,489

17.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$9.71 LRD 1,765

-29.66%

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

$187 R 3,039

$131 LRD 23.9K

42.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$879 LRD 159.6K

396.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$18.33 LRD 3,331

170.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$33.61 LRD 6,108

-9.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$55.5 LRD 10.1K

65.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$70.0 LRD 12.7K

12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$656 LRD 119.2K

-32.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$93.9 LRD 17.1K

290.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,845 LRD 335.3K

-52.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$262 LRD 47.6K

176.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$704 LRD 128.0K

121.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

131.00%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Liberia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $333 in Liberia. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $666 in Monrovia.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $705 in Liberia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 114% more in Liberia.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 116% 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 Liberia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liberia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 55% 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 55% 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.