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 $1,340 in Niger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $1,794 in Niger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $2,248 in Niger.

Living in South Africa costs about 24% less than in Niger on average.

South Africa (24% below) and Niger (0% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $803 to $1,362, compared to $1,340–$1,340 in Niger. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$5.22 F CFA 2,995

75.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$40.36 F CFA 23.1K

-3.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$10.68 F CFA 6,127

-51.40%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$3.27 F CFA 1,877

-39.45%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.46 F CFA 836

-31.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.65 F CFA 370

21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.36 F CFA 779

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$3.17 F CFA 1,820

-18.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.44 F CFA 1,397

-54.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.60 F CFA 346

61.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.28 F CFA 732

20.31%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.34 F CFA 1,341

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$7.40 F CFA 4,243

-38.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$7.75 F CFA 4,444

-13.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$4.47 F CFA 2,566

-64.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.51 F CFA 864

-2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$2.96 F CFA 1,696

-48.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$2.01 F CFA 1,152

-24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.48 F CFA 851

-14.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$0.74 F CFA 426

71.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.85 F CFA 490

28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.32 F CFA 759

-26.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$2.71 F CFA 1,552

4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$13.97 F CFA 8,010

-62.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$1.33 F CFA 762

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$2.26 F CFA 1,298

-23.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.64 F CFA 365

168.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$25.97 F CFA 14.9K

70.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$0.46 F CFA 262

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.41 F CFA 237

160.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$6.15 F CFA 3,530

-22.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.04 F CFA 596

23.08%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$21.0K F CFA 12.0M

-2.79%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$24.7K F CFA 14.2M

-3.01%

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

$113 R 1,869

$357 F CFA 205.0K

-68.40%

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

$32.35 R 536

$17.88 F CFA 10.3K

80.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$8.74 F CFA 5,012

374.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$62.8 F CFA 36.0K

-50.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$9.02 F CFA 5,176

7.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$4.73 F CFA 2,713

41.01%

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

$186 R 3,072

$984 F CFA 564.6K

-81.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$4,914 F CFA 2.8M

-10.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$43.90 F CFA 25.2K

14.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$52.0 F CFA 29.8K

-41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$39.44 F CFA 22.6K

136.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$48.92 F CFA 28.1K

64.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$976 F CFA 559.9K

-55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$433 F CFA 248.1K

-14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$894 F CFA 512.6K

0.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$456 F CFA 261.3K

54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$1,727 F CFA 990.8K

-35.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$985 F CFA 565.0K

-19.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$395 F CFA 226.5K

281.33%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Niger: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $989 in Niger. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $989 in Niamey.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $388 in Niger. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 169% higher in Niger.

Dining out costs 14% more in Niger.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Niger.

Salaries are 290% 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 Niger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,340 per month in Niger and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 24% 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 South Africa: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: South Africa wins on affordability; Niger may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.