Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Sao Tome And Principe Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Sao Tome And Principe

Name: Sao Tome And Principe
Address: ST

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $648 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $1,129 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,609 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

South Africa costs about 57% more than Sao Tome And Principe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Sao Tome And Principe are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Sao Tome And Principe 52% lower.

Sao Tome And Principe has a wider regional cost range ($209–$1,087) than South Africa ($819–$1,339), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Sao Tome And Principe.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$20.34 STN 427

-55.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$42.40 STN 890

-6.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$9.95 STN 209

-50.35%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$1.98 STN 41.55

4.04%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.93 STN 40.45

-50.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$1.04 STN 21.79

-22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.62 STN 34.00

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$1.84 STN 38.62

34.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.38 STN 29.07

-19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.54 STN 32.38

-33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.85 STN 38.82

-15.68%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$4.37 STN 91.9

-46.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$19.68 STN 413

-60.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$20.28 STN 426

-77.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$25.30 STN 531

-73.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$4.52 STN 94.9

-65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.14 STN 23.96

25.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$3.95 STN 83.0

-63.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$3.52 STN 74.0

-57.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$2.53 STN 53.2

-51.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.99 STN 41.76

-35.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.72 STN 15.17

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$1.91 STN 40.15

-50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$2.35 STN 49.26

27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$8.19 STN 172

-37.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.28 STN 26.84

8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.33 STN 27.86

24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$1.26 STN 26.43

29.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

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

$14.25 STN 299

-65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.63 STN 34.15

-23.93%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$23.1K STN 484.8K

1.66%

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

$113 R 1,843

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

$32.36 R 526

$28.67 STN 602

12.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$72.6 STN 1,524

-42.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$37.58 STN 789

-15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$28.44 STN 597

-66.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$20.62 STN 433

-66.88%

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

$187 R 3,039

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$19.10 STN 401

312.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$266 STN 5,579

66.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$192 STN 4,025

91.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$671 STN 14.1K

31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$512 STN 10.7K

41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,937 STN 40.7K

-43.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$1,177 STN 24.7K

-33.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$457 STN 9,595

240.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

7.38

56.50%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $171 in Sao Tome And Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $342 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $272 in Sao Tome And Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 115% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 23% more in Sao Tome And Principe.

Salaries are 459% 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 Sao Tome And Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome And Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 67% 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 Sao Tome And Principe, contributing to the overall 67% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Sao Tome And Principe 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.