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: $1,143 in South Africa versus $419 in Nigeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $723 in Nigeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $1,027 in Nigeria.

Living in South Africa is roughly 173% more expensive than in Nigeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Nigeria 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$1.94 ₦2,576

482.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$30.08 ₦39.9K

47.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$4.71 ₦6,244

25.27%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.30 ₦3,049

6.09%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$0.35 ₦468

231.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$0.22 ₦292

336.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$0.76 ₦1,005

236.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$1.31 ₦1,738

135.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$2.90 ₦3,841

-55.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.00 ₦1,328

13.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.55 ₦2,060

18.06%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$1.65 ₦2,183

54.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$5.60 ₦7,421

49.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$4.21 ₦5,584

29.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$3.59 ₦4,753

119.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$2.21 ₦2,925

-14.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$1.30 ₦1,724

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$1.20 ₦1,595

50.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.56 ₦2,062

20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.52 ₦2,017

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.32 ₦1,743

12.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.67 ₦885

98.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.36 ₦476

230.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$0.78 ₦1,032

337.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$3.46 ₦4,586

46.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$0.66 ₦873

128.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$0.79 ₦1,048

156.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.40 ₦526

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$15.18 ₦20.1K

315.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$0.63 ₦831

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$1.09 ₦1,444

-7.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$2.22 ₦2,945

263.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$0.60 ₦795

143.33%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$11.5K ₦15.3M

219.52%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$16.6K ₦22.0M

96.04%

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

$136 R 2,185

$70.6 ₦93.5K

92.21%

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

$35.72 R 575

$5.28 ₦6,995

576.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$21.04 ₦27.9K

96.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$20.09 ₦26.6K

74.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$6.95 ₦9,213

79.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$4.47 ₦5,929

70.47%

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

$231 R 3,725

$64.4 ₦85.4K

259.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$4,278 ₦5.7M

33.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$11.72 ₦15.5K

380.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$19.05 ₦25.2K

78.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$34.16 ₦45.3K

197.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$36.68 ₦48.6K

153.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$529 ₦700.5K

-4.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$307 ₦407.2K

35.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,674 ₦2.2M

-41.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$772 ₦1.0M

8.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$2,658 ₦3.5M

-56.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$1,157 ₦1.5M

-30.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$88.3 ₦117.0K

1659.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

17.59

-36.10%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $445 in South Africa, $266 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $324 in Bloemfontein vs $1,426 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $76.0 in Nigeria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 74% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 1943% 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 Nigeria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,206 per month in Nigeria and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 2% 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 Nigeria: 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 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 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: Nigeria wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.