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

Name: Namibia
Address: NA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in South Africa versus $534 in Namibia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in South Africa versus $776 in Namibia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,151 in South Africa versus $1,018 in Namibia.

Living in South Africa is roughly 91% more expensive than in Namibia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Namibia 60% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Namibia: monthly costs span $8.00 to $1,122, compared to $804–$1,332 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Namibia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.98 R 147

$10.05 NAD 165

-10.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.92 R 638

$34.07 NAD 558

14.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 R 83.4

$4.75 NAD 77.8

7.16%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R 32.34

$1.69 NAD 27.66

16.57%

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

$0.96 R 15.66

$0.99 NAD 16.25

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.03

$0.95 NAD 15.65

-16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R 37.17

$1.35 NAD 22.17

68.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 40.43

$1.55 NAD 25.37

59.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.29

$1.38 NAD 22.68

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.75

$0.81 NAD 13.22

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.68

$1.63 NAD 26.71

-3.68%

Eggs

$2.36 R 38.64

$2.72 NAD 44.56

-13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 R 123

$7.43 NAD 122

0.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 R 76.4

$5.01 NAD 82.2

-6.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$6.60 NAD 108

1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.80

$1.94 NAD 31.85

-19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.15

$1.94 NAD 31.82

-27.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.03

$1.82 NAD 29.75

-19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.44

$1.83 NAD 29.91

-18.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.66

$1.76 NAD 28.78

-28.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 R 21.96

$1.72 NAD 28.16

-22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 R 16.92

$1.82 NAD 29.83

-43.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.11

$1.08 NAD 17.67

-14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 R 47.51

$2.77 NAD 45.45

4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 R 84.3

$6.86 NAD 112

-25.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.74

$1.26 NAD 20.71

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.44

$1.77 NAD 29.00

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.76

$0.75 NAD 12.36

125.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 R 745

$40.79 NAD 668

11.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.77

$0.69 NAD 11.33

65.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.51

$0.78 NAD 12.71

37.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 R 80.0

$11.60 NAD 190

-57.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.12

$1.16 NAD 19.09

11.21%

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

$21.1K R 345.3K

$21.1K NAD 346.2K

-0.31%

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

$24.0K R 393.3K

$23.5K NAD 385.1K

2.09%

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

$111 R 1,820

$114 NAD 1,860

-2.23%

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

$33.07 R 542

$17.50 NAD 287

88.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.55 R 681

$54.5 NAD 893

-23.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.98 R 508

$37.45 NAD 614

-17.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.32 R 153

$12.96 NAD 212

-28.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 R 108

$5.61 NAD 91.9

17.29%

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

$192 R 3,154

$198 NAD 3,242

-2.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,342 R 71.2K

$5,228 NAD 85.7K

-16.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.43 R 794

$49.01 NAD 803

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 R 513

$29.39 NAD 482

6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 R 1,557

$77.1 NAD 1,263

23.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 R 1,305

$68.6 NAD 1,124

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 R 7,224

$456 NAD 7,467

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 R 5,948

$359 NAD 5,882

1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R 14.8K

$1,140 NAD 18.7K

-21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.7K

$796 NAD 13.0K

-10.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 R 18.2K

$1,360 NAD 22.3K

-18.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$788 R 12.9K

$403 NAD 6,601

95.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,483 R 24.3K

$1,011 NAD 16.6K

46.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.36

1.67%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 21, 2026

Last update for Namibia: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $369 in South Africa, $177 in Namibia. Capital cities: $410 in Pretoria vs $500 in Windhoek.

National salary averages: $1,522 in South Africa, $1,003 in Namibia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 167% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 52% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Namibia.

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 Namibia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $565 per month in Namibia and $1,068 in South Africa, there's a 89% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Namibia: 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 South Africa is consistently higher than in Namibia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Namibia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Namibia wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.