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

Name: Reunion
Address: RE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $949 in Reunion, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $1,444 in Reunion, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,939 in Reunion, rent included.

South Africa costs about 7% more than Reunion on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Reunion are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Reunion 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$18.25 €15.70

-50.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$74.8 €64.3

-47.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$13.72 €11.80

-63.99%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$3.25 €2.80

-36.62%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$3.82 €3.29

-75.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$2.83 €2.44

-71.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$4.65 €4.00

-52.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$4.75 €4.09

-47.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.23 €1.06

-9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$3.20 €2.75

-68.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$2.10 €1.81

-25.71%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$4.91 €4.22

-52.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$23.56 €20.27

-67.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$14.32 €12.32

-68.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$22.84 €19.64

-70.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$3.00 €2.58

-48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$2.18 €1.87

-34.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.85 €2.45

-49.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$3.22 €2.77

-53.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$2.44 €2.10

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$2.21 €1.90

-42.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$1.64 €1.41

-36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$1.23 €1.06

-23.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$14.53 €12.50

-79.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$9.58 €8.24

-46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$2.32 €1.99

-40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$3.58 €3.08

-53.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$2.36 €2.03

-30.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$45.68 €39.29

-1.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$2.15 €1.85

-42.33%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$36.6K €31.5K

-44.47%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$31.1K €26.7K

-24.46%

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

$113 R 1,843

$115 €99.0

-1.45%

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

$32.36 R 526

$13.16 €11.32

145.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$53.8 €46.29

-22.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$36.24 €31.17

-12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$14.11 €12.14

-31.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$11.78 €10.13

-42.02%

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

$187 R 3,039

$87.6 €75.3

113.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$118 €102

-58.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$37.41 €32.18

-18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$118 €101

-22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$137 €118

-42.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$951 €818

-53.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$700 €602

-47.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,567 €1,348

-43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$1,090 €937

-33.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$3,457 €2,974

-68.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$3,069 €2,640

-74.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$2,175 €1,871

-28.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

188.75%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Reunion: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $511 in Reunion. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $890 in Saint-Pierre.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $2,000 in Reunion. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in Reunion.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Reunion.

Salaries are 32% higher in Reunion, giving Reunion 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 Reunion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reunion is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 20% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Reunion, contributing to the overall 20% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Reunion, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Reunion is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.