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 $714 in Liberia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $1,231 in Liberia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,748 in Liberia, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 43% 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 24% lower, Liberia 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$7.65 LRD 1,380

19.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$153 LRD 27.5K

-74.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$11.01 LRD 1,987

-52.86%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$3.37 LRD 608

-41.25%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.96 LRD 354

-48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$2.60 LRD 470

-69.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$2.73 LRD 492

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$2.98 LRD 537

-13.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.11 LRD 380

-46.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.83 LRD 330

-46.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$5.05 LRD 911

-69.50%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$3.67 LRD 662

-38.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$11.90 LRD 2,147

-33.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$11.94 LRD 2,154

-61.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$35.92 LRD 6,481

-81.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$1.67 LRD 302

-5.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$8.70 LRD 1,569

-83.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$10.34 LRD 1,865

-85.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$11.04 LRD 1,992

-86.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$2.22 LRD 401

-43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$10.83 LRD 1,954

-88.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$4.74 LRD 855

-77.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.95 LRD 353

-50.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$5.02 LRD 906

-43.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$7.17 LRD 1,293

-27.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.49 LRD 449

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$3.23 LRD 583

-46.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$2.92 LRD 527

-41.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$12.63 LRD 2,278

250.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$2.79 LRD 504

-58.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$1.26 LRD 228

-15.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$17.78 LRD 3,207

-73.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.20 LRD 217

6.67%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$12.3K LRD 2.2M

64.99%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$15.2K LRD 2.7M

57.74%

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

$113 R 1,869

$269 LRD 48.5K

-57.95%

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

$32.35 R 536

$22.72 LRD 4,098

42.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$93.5 LRD 16.9K

-55.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$76.9 LRD 13.9K

-59.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$8.17 LRD 1,474

18.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$9.76 LRD 1,761

-31.66%

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

$186 R 3,072

$129 LRD 23.3K

43.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$893 LRD 161.1K

392.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$18.44 LRD 3,327

172.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$34.09 LRD 6,151

-10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$56.2 LRD 10.1K

66.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$70.0 LRD 12.6K

14.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$665 LRD 119.9K

-34.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$93.6 LRD 16.9K

297.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$1,832 LRD 330.5K

-50.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$269 LRD 48.6K

161.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$690 LRD 124.5K

118.23%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Liberia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $340 in Liberia. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $679 in Monrovia.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $688 in Liberia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 111% more in Liberia.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 120% 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 52% 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 52% 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.