Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Senegal

Name: Senegal
Address: SN

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,203 a month against $1,370 in Senegal, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Senegal
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Senegal Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,370

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Senegal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in South Africa versus $1,370 in Senegal.

South Africa $1,203
Senegal $1,370

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,893 in South Africa versus $2,137 in Senegal.

South Africa $1,893
Senegal $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,583 in South Africa versus $2,904 in Senegal.

South Africa $2,583
Senegal $2,904

Internal cost variation is higher in Senegal: monthly costs span $153 to $1,392, compared to $618–$1,556 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Senegal.

Living in South Africa costs about 12% less than in Senegal on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 178

$4.81 F CFA 2,823

121.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 696

$54.5 F CFA 32.0K

-23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.9

$10.85 F CFA 6,373

-46.54%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.39

$3.43 F CFA 2,017

-31.20%

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

$1.12 R 18.64

$1.37 F CFA 805

-18.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 15.06

$0.74 F CFA 437

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.36

$2.55 F CFA 1,496

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 51.1

$4.38 F CFA 2,572

-30.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.67

$2.60 F CFA 1,526

-54.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.91

$0.70 F CFA 411

61.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 29.02

$1.64 F CFA 964

6.10%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.98

$2.49 F CFA 1,465

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 141

$17.60 F CFA 10.3K

-52.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.5

$9.07 F CFA 5,328

-43.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 127

$11.27 F CFA 6,621

-32.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.64

$3.25 F CFA 1,909

-45.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 29.02

$2.03 F CFA 1,193

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.55

$3.08 F CFA 1,808

-42.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.38

$1.69 F CFA 991

4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.91

$1.47 F CFA 863

1.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.48

$1.00 F CFA 590

47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.61

$1.13 F CFA 661

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.33

$0.65 F CFA 384

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.2

$2.09 F CFA 1,229

55.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.5

$17.35 F CFA 10.2K

-71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 25.01

$1.44 F CFA 848

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.40

$3.27 F CFA 1,918

-40.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.69

$0.54 F CFA 315

174.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 990

$52.1 F CFA 30.6K

13.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.29

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

-36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.53

$2.08 F CFA 1,222

-52.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 125

$16.98 F CFA 9,974

-56.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.86

$1.63 F CFA 960

-12.27%

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

$35.3K R 589.8K

$49.5K F CFA 29.1M

-28.66%

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

$32.4K R 541.9K

$47.5K F CFA 27.9M

-31.76%

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

$133 R 2,218

$203 F CFA 119.5K

-34.74%

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

$34.83 R 582

$11.71 F CFA 6,876

197.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 664

$45.66 F CFA 26.8K

-12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 553

$31.92 F CFA 18.7K

3.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 195

$23.30 F CFA 13.7K

-50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 120

$8.45 F CFA 4,962

-15.03%

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

$224 R 3,744

$327 F CFA 192.0K

-31.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 91.3K

$8,827 F CFA 5.2M

-38.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 906

$58.8 F CFA 34.5K

-7.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 570

$44.69 F CFA 26.2K

-23.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,706

$83.8 F CFA 49.2K

21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,478

$97.7 F CFA 57.4K

-9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,223

$751 F CFA 441.0K

-34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,645

$426 F CFA 250.3K

-6.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.8K

$1,744 F CFA 1.0M

-45.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.8K

$862 F CFA 506.4K

-4.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.4K

$4,909 F CFA 2.9M

-77.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$1,497 F CFA 879.0K

-48.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 25.1K

$340 F CFA 200.0K

341.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

8.75

28.34%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Senegal: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Senegal

$426 31.1% 7.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Senegal

$261 19% 25.8% $53

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Senegal

$298 21.7% 52% $102

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Senegal

$142 10.4% 9.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Senegal

$128 9.4% 2.2% $2.8

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Senegal

$66 4.9% 6.8% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Senegal

$49 3.6% 2.9% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $422 in South Africa, $551 in Senegal. Capital cities: $450 in Pretoria vs $801 in Dakar.

National salary averages: $1,488 in South Africa, $340 in Senegal. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Senegal.

Dining out costs 38% more in Senegal.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 4.4 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇸🇳 Senegal

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

2 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

16,876,720

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

South Africa Senegal 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Senegal

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 Senegal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,370 per month in Senegal and $1,203 in South Africa, South Africa comes out about 12% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $551 in Senegal and $422 in South Africa. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: South Africa wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.