Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Reunion

Name: Reunion
Address: RE

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,214 a month against $1,867 in Reunion, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Reunion
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Reunion Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,214

/mo nomad

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Reunion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Africa and in Reunion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,214 per month in South Africa vs $1,867 in Reunion, rent included.

South Africa $1,214
Reunion $1,867

A couple spends around $1,908 per month in South Africa vs $2,942 in Reunion, rent included.

South Africa $1,908
Reunion $2,942

A family of three spends $2,602 per month in South Africa vs $4,016 in Reunion, rent included.

South Africa $2,602
Reunion $4,016

The cost of living in South Africa is roughly 35% lower than in Reunion on average.

South Africa sits 10% below the global median, while Reunion is 38% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 R 184

$8.92 €7.93

25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.79 R 705

$96.2 €85.6

-55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 R 94.8

$13.39 €11.91

-57.06%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.68

$3.31 €2.95

-29.00%

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

$1.14 R 18.73

$2.88 €2.56

-60.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.23

$2.29 €2.04

-62.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 R 39.19

$4.57 €4.07

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R 50.6

$5.74 €5.10

-46.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.13

$1.43 €1.27

-14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.10

$3.00 €2.67

-63.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.66

$3.16 €2.81

-44.94%

Eggs

$2.61 R 42.98

$4.63 €4.12

-43.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 R 139

$21.32 €18.97

-60.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R 85.1

$15.10 €13.43

-65.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 129

$24.67 €21.94

-68.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.52

$2.93 €2.61

-38.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.87

$2.05 €1.82

-14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.50

$2.86 €2.54

-39.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.47

$6.59 €5.86

-72.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.75

$2.47 €2.20

-41.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.97

$3.69 €3.28

-58.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.59

$1.54 €1.37

-18.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.18

$2.74 €2.44

-59.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 R 56.5

$12.84 €11.42

-73.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 R 80.7

$8.95 €7.96

-45.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R 25.21

$3.24 €2.88

-52.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.96

$2.49 €2.21

-19.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 R 25.85

$2.85 €2.53

-44.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 R 983

$42.52 €37.82

40.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R 17.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 R 17.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 R 128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.75

$1.92 €1.71

-21.87%

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

$36.4K R 600.2K

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

$33.1K R 545.0K

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

$132 R 2,172

$122 €108

8.15%

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

$35.19 R 580

$16.08 €14.30

118.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.82 R 656

$43.86 €39.01

-9.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.82 R 557

$35.74 €31.79

-5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 R 191

$13.40 €11.92

-13.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 118

$11.25 €10.01

-36.44%

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

$227 R 3,740

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,604 R 92.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$143 €127

-62.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 R 568

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,680

$126 €112

-18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 R 1,482

$113 €101

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 R 8,036

$948 €844

-48.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,634

$742 €660

-45.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 R 15.8K

$1,659 €1,476

-42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 R 13.6K

$1,258 €1,119

-34.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,115 R 18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 R 13.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,482 R 24.4K

$2,056 €1,829

-27.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

180.75%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Last update for Reunion: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$403 33.2%

Reunion

$742 39.7% 84.3% $339

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17%

Reunion

$182 9.7% 12.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$198 16.3%

Reunion

$453 24.3% 129% $256

Eating Out

South Africa

$161 13.3%

Reunion

$206 11% 28.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Reunion

$172 * 9.2% 36.7% $46

Getting Around

South Africa

$72 6%

Reunion

$54 * 2.9% 25.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$48 4%

Reunion

$58 3.1% 21.1% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $429 in South Africa vs $446 in Reunion. For reference, capital cities sit at $455 in Pretoria and $1,074 in Saint-Pierre.

Average salary: $1,501 in South Africa vs $2,047 in Reunion. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 26% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 36% higher in Reunion, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇷🇪 Reunion

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

2 h ahead of South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

881,348

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Reunion 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Reunion

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 54% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Reunion: a central one-bedroom averages $446 versus $429 in South Africa.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in Reunion it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Africa 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.