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

Name: Nigeria
Address: NG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in South Africa versus $521 in Nigeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in South Africa versus $871 in Nigeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in South Africa versus $1,220 in Nigeria.

Living in South Africa is roughly 96% more expensive than Nigeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Nigeria 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.88 R 144

$2.01 ₦2,738

341.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.40 R 637

$32.39 ₦44.0K

21.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 79.6

$5.41 ₦7,350

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.28

$2.13 ₦2,893

-6.10%

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

$1.03 R 16.58

$0.39 ₦537

164.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.15

$0.25 ₦341

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 36.50

$0.91 ₦1,240

148.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 40.00

$1.26 ₦1,713

96.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.42

$2.78 ₦3,778

-61.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 16.78

$1.27 ₦1,721

-18.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.45

$2.28 ₦3,106

-31.14%

Eggs

$2.28 R 36.86

$1.91 ₦2,596

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 125

$5.17 ₦7,035

49.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 R 73.8

$4.35 ₦5,909

4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.72 R 109

$4.36 ₦5,922

54.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.31

$3.44 ₦4,682

-56.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 22.87

$1.98 ₦2,688

-28.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.38

$1.72 ₦2,335

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.51

$1.86 ₦2,525

-18.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.44

$2.12 ₦2,877

-40.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R 20.95

$1.74 ₦2,372

-25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.62

$0.83 ₦1,124

31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 15.99

$0.49 ₦670

102.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 R 48.20

$1.28 ₦1,738

132.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 R 82.9

$2.61 ₦3,545

96.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.37

$0.88 ₦1,191

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 26.68

$1.10 ₦1,493

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 R 27.60

$0.53 ₦721

222.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.13 R 730

$34.48 ₦46.9K

30.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 17.93

$0.90 ₦1,230

23.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 R 17.91

$1.73 ₦2,350

-35.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 R 76.1

$4.28 ₦5,823

9.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.74

$0.70 ₦957

82.86%

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

$20.8K R 335.8K

$16.3K ₦22.1M

27.53%

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

$23.5K R 379.4K

$21.9K ₦29.8M

7.23%

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

$111 R 1,792

$29.95 ₦40.7K

270.05%

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

$32.41 R 524

$9.62 ₦13.1K

236.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 R 673

$30.61 ₦41.6K

36.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 R 505

$31.31 ₦42.6K

-0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.78 R 158

$8.73 ₦11.9K

12.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 110

$6.64 ₦9,026

2.11%

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

$189 R 3,048

$75.8 ₦103.1K

148.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,394 R 71.0K

$1,646 ₦2.2M

167.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.42 R 799

$17.59 ₦23.9K

180.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 R 491

$27.22 ₦37.0K

11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 R 1,522

$54.5 ₦74.1K

72.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 R 1,283

$55.4 ₦75.4K

43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R 7,171

$892 ₦1.2M

-50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,948

$580 ₦788.2K

-36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 R 14.2K

$2,244 ₦3.1M

-60.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 R 11.5K

$1,207 ₦1.6M

-40.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 R 17.2K

$2,644 ₦3.6M

-59.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 R 12.6K

$1,052 ₦1.4M

-25.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 R 24.3K

$81.5 ₦110.8K

1746.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

16.33

-29.27%

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

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $374 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $764 in Cape Town vs $2,414 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $1,501 in South Africa, $69.0 in Nigeria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 35% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 129% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 2075% 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 Nigeria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $849 per month in Nigeria and $1,084 in South Africa, there's a 28% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Nigeria 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 South Africa beats Nigeria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Nigeria, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In South Africa, 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. Nigeria wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.