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 $525 in Nigeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,583 in South Africa versus $875 in Nigeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,146 in South Africa versus $1,225 in Nigeria.

Living in South Africa is roughly 94% more expensive than in Nigeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 23% lower, Nigeria 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R 148

$2.05 ₦2,794

333.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.93 R 665

$32.88 ₦44.8K

21.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 R 81.7

$5.40 ₦7,360

-9.26%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.88

$2.13 ₦2,898

-4.69%

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

$1.04 R 17.26

$0.39 ₦533

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 12.32

$0.23 ₦311

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 38.17

$0.87 ₦1,184

163.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.69

$1.26 ₦1,714

103.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.74

$2.76 ₦3,766

-61.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.27

$1.21 ₦1,649

-14.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.96

$2.33 ₦3,173

-33.05%

Eggs

$2.22 R 37.05

$1.81 ₦2,469

22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 132

$5.01 ₦6,830

58.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 R 76.1

$4.41 ₦6,015

3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 R 110

$4.31 ₦5,877

53.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.03

$3.54 ₦4,831

-57.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.46

$2.03 ₦2,772

-27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R 24.11

$1.72 ₦2,342

-15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.14

$1.82 ₦2,485

-13.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.97

$2.02 ₦2,751

-40.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 21.38

$1.76 ₦2,400

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 R 17.23

$0.85 ₦1,164

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.54

$0.50 ₦679

86.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R 48.96

$1.27 ₦1,736

131.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 R 85.7

$2.51 ₦3,427

104.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.67

$0.88 ₦1,196

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.66

$1.08 ₦1,479

53.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 27.22

$0.57 ₦774

185.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R 736

$33.80 ₦46.1K

30.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.18

$0.90 ₦1,231

27.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.30

$1.73 ₦2,353

-36.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 R 79.5

$4.22 ₦5,750

13.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.81

$0.72 ₦976

73.61%

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

$21.0K R 350.4K

$16.7K ₦22.8M

25.65%

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

$23.4K R 390.4K

$22.4K ₦30.5M

4.71%

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

$114 R 1,892

$29.97 ₦40.9K

278.91%

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

$32.92 R 548

$9.99 ₦13.6K

229.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.72 R 678

$30.61 ₦41.7K

33.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 R 525

$31.50 ₦42.9K

-0.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 R 159

$8.60 ₦11.7K

10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 R 115

$6.30 ₦8,588

9.68%

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

$188 R 3,124

$76.0 ₦103.6K

146.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,300 R 71.6K

$1,599 ₦2.2M

168.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 832

$17.57 ₦24.0K

184.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 R 511

$27.12 ₦37.0K

13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 R 1,571

$53.8 ₦73.4K

75.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,331

$56.0 ₦76.4K

42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R 7,398

$890 ₦1.2M

-50.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,231

$591 ₦805.1K

-36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 R 15.0K

$2,238 ₦3.1M

-59.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 12.0K

$1,202 ₦1.6M

-40.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 R 18.4K

$2,591 ₦3.5M

-57.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$756 R 12.6K

$1,178 ₦1.6M

-35.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 R 24.9K

$81.5 ₦111.1K

1733.60%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $367 in South Africa, $372 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $399 in Pretoria vs $2,445 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $1,498 in South Africa, $72.0 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 1981% 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 $825 per month in Nigeria and $1,081 in South Africa, there's a 31% 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.