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

Name: Seychelles
Address: SC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in South Africa versus $1,997 in Seychelles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $3,014 in Seychelles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $4,030 in Seychelles.

Living in South Africa costs about 43% less than in Seychelles on average.

South Africa (17% below) and Seychelles (45% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $647 to $1,815, compared to $1,768–$2,235 in Seychelles. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$18.73 SCR 270

-39.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$95.0 SCR 1,370

-53.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$12.62 SCR 182

-53.25%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$4.48 SCR 64.7

-45.54%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$2.39 SCR 34.42

-51.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$2.20 SCR 31.75

-56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$7.68 SCR 111

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$4.03 SCR 58.2

-23.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.88 SCR 27.15

-31.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.67 SCR 24.04

-32.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$2.50 SCR 36.05

-26.80%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$3.88 SCR 56.0

-34.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$17.80 SCR 257

-53.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$7.73 SCR 112

-29.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$12.82 SCR 185

-38.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$2.24 SCR 32.39

-15.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$3.09 SCR 44.65

-44.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.01 SCR 29.03

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$7.38 SCR 106

-74.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.54 SCR 22.29

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.70 SCR 24.57

-12.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$1.48 SCR 21.34

-10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$1.24 SCR 17.90

-4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$25.31 SCR 365

-86.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$10.90 SCR 157

-53.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$3.43 SCR 49.53

-55.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$3.94 SCR 56.8

-48.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.75 SCR 10.78

134.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$36.35 SCR 524

73.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$28.51 SCR 411

-96.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$14.17 SCR 204

-43.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.53 SCR 22.01

-4.58%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$26.7K SCR 385.2K

37.89%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$33.0K SCR 476.5K

-1.56%

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

$136 R 2,185

$131 SCR 1,895

3.30%

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

$35.72 R 575

$41.75 SCR 602

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$122 SCR 1,761

-66.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$92.3 SCR 1,332

-62.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$8.05 SCR 116

54.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$7.93 SCR 114

-3.91%

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

$231 R 3,725

$144 SCR 2,077

60.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$8,757 SCR 126.3K

-34.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$38.64 SCR 557

45.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$24.30 SCR 351

39.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$77.0 SCR 1,111

32.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$110 SCR 1,587

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$948 SCR 13.7K

-46.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$840 SCR 12.1K

-50.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$2,181 SCR 31.5K

-55.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$1,693 SCR 24.4K

-50.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$699 SCR 10.1K

64.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$880 SCR 12.7K

-9.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$826 SCR 11.9K

88.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-6.33%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Seychelles: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $445 in South Africa, $977 in Seychelles. Capital cities: $324 in Bloemfontein vs $957 in Victoria.

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $907 in Seychelles. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 120% higher in Seychelles.

Dining out costs 75% more in Seychelles.

Public transport is 65% more expensive in Seychelles.

Salaries are 71% 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 Seychelles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,002 per month in Seychelles and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 63% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in South Africa: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Seychelles is consistently higher than in South Africa across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Africa, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Seychelles it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: South Africa wins on affordability; Seychelles may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.