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

Name: Niger
Address: NE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $1,372 in Niger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $1,807 in Niger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $2,241 in Niger.

Living in South Africa costs about 26% less than in Niger on average.

South Africa (24% below) and Niger (2% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $819 to $1,339, compared to $1,372–$1,372 in Niger. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$5.33 F CFA 3,008

69.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$39.37 F CFA 22.2K

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$10.74 F CFA 6,059

-54.00%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$3.16 F CFA 1,780

-34.81%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.44 F CFA 810

-34.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.68 F CFA 385

19.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.35 F CFA 764

63.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$3.06 F CFA 1,727

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$2.52 F CFA 1,421

-55.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.57 F CFA 321

78.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.25 F CFA 705

24.80%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.37 F CFA 1,338

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$7.46 F CFA 4,205

-39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$7.83 F CFA 4,418

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$4.40 F CFA 2,481

-64.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.44 F CFA 814

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.90 F CFA 1,637

-50.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

-24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.46 F CFA 822

-16.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$0.68 F CFA 383

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.87 F CFA 489

19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$1.37 F CFA 774

-31.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$2.61 F CFA 1,472

14.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$14.03 F CFA 7,912

-63.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.38 F CFA 778

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$2.25 F CFA 1,266

-26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.60 F CFA 337

171.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$26.97 F CFA 15.2K

67.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$0.46 F CFA 260

145.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.39 F CFA 218

182.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$6.24 F CFA 3,518

-22.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$0.98 F CFA 551

26.53%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$21.1K F CFA 11.9M

-3.86%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$24.9K F CFA 14.0M

-5.62%

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

$113 R 1,843

$352 F CFA 198.3K

-67.75%

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

$32.36 R 526

$17.36 F CFA 9,791

86.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$8.96 F CFA 5,051

362.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$64.1 F CFA 36.2K

-50.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$8.59 F CFA 4,847

11.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$4.96 F CFA 2,795

37.70%

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

$187 R 3,039

$1,006 F CFA 567.3K

-81.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$4,768 F CFA 2.7M

-8.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$44.78 F CFA 25.3K

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$54.0 F CFA 30.4K

-43.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$39.83 F CFA 22.5K

130.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$48.99 F CFA 27.6K

60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$963 F CFA 543.2K

-54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$438 F CFA 247.0K

-16.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$895 F CFA 504.7K

-1.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$459 F CFA 258.8K

57.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,778 F CFA 1.0M

-38.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$994 F CFA 560.5K

-21.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$402 F CFA 226.8K

287.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

5.00%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Niger: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $971 in Niger. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $971 in Niamey.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $402 in Niger. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 164% higher in Niger.

Dining out costs 14% more in Niger.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in Niger.

Salaries are 278% 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 Niger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,372 per month in Niger and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 27% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

South Africa is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 Niger beats South Africa across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Africa, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In Niger, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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