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 $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $732 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $1,200 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $1,668 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 56% higher than in 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 17% lower, Sao Tome And Principe 47% lower.

Cost ranges are similar: South Africa spans $647–$1,815, Sao Tome And Principe $208–$1,257. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$9.04 STN 191

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$46.59 STN 983

-4.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$8.99 STN 190

-34.37%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.42 STN 51.0

0.83%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$1.81 STN 38.16

-35.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.12 STN 23.55

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$1.84 STN 38.79

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$1.94 STN 40.91

58.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.59 STN 33.45

-19.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.57 STN 33.23

-28.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$2.02 STN 42.58

-9.41%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$4.68 STN 98.7

-45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$19.88 STN 419

-58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$20.46 STN 432

-73.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$22.06 STN 465

-64.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$3.94 STN 83.2

-51.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$1.77 STN 37.26

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$3.75 STN 79.1

-51.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$3.50 STN 73.8

-46.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$2.95 STN 62.2

-47.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$2.52 STN 53.1

-40.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.52 STN 10.87

155.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$2.14 STN 45.24

-44.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$2.34 STN 49.44

45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$8.44 STN 178

-39.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.50 STN 31.74

0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.69 STN 35.61

20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$1.41 STN 29.67

24.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$1.77 STN 37.26

-36.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$2.73 STN 57.7

-63.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$14.20 STN 300

-43.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.78 STN 37.59

-17.98%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$26.0K STN 549.0K

41.49%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$32.5K STN 685.5K

0.08%

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

$136 R 2,185

$241 STN 5,090

-43.76%

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

$35.72 R 575

$33.16 STN 700

7.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$69.4 STN 1,463

-40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$34.80 STN 734

0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$26.33 STN 556

-52.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$20.84 STN 440

-63.44%

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

$231 R 3,725

$241 STN 5,094

-4.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$2,256 STN 47.6K

153.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$76.5 STN 1,613

-55.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$18.83 STN 397

393.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$291 STN 6,132

74.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$204 STN 4,297

105.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$984 STN 20.8K

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$468 STN 9,865

79.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$1,886 STN 39.8K

-38.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$1,206 STN 25.5K

-33.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$459 STN 9,682

238.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

7.38

52.30%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $147 in Sao Tome And Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $293 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $273 in Sao Tome And Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 203% higher in South Africa.

Salaries are 469% 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 Sao Tome And Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome And Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% 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 68% 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.