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: $1,020 in South Africa versus $1,710 in Seychelles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $2,571 in Seychelles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $3,431 in Seychelles.

Living in South Africa costs about 40% less than in Seychelles on average.

South Africa (24% below) and Seychelles (28% above) straddle the global median.

South Africa ($803–$1,362) and Seychelles ($1,315–$1,984) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$17.59 SCR 252

-48.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 646

$68.8 SCR 985

-43.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.6

$7.03 SCR 101

-26.17%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.63

$4.81 SCR 68.9

-58.84%

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

$1.00 R 16.52

$2.24 SCR 32.05

-55.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.97

$2.14 SCR 30.62

-63.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.50

$8.16 SCR 117

-72.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.45

$3.74 SCR 53.6

-31.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.50

$1.80 SCR 25.75

-37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.96

$1.55 SCR 22.27

-37.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.47

$1.86 SCR 26.72

-17.20%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.10

$3.49 SCR 50.0

-35.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$20.66 SCR 296

-61.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.6

$6.28 SCR 90.0

-27.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$9.72 SCR 139

-31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.98

$2.13 SCR 30.47

-26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.27

$2.49 SCR 35.71

-40.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.10

$2.41 SCR 34.59

-36.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.91

$5.96 SCR 85.5

-74.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.79

$1.42 SCR 20.36

-11.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.04

$1.35 SCR 19.40

-5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.93

$1.35 SCR 19.29

-19.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.00

$1.44 SCR 20.63

-32.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.81

$22.14 SCR 317

-87.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.9

$11.25 SCR 161

-53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.84

$3.23 SCR 46.21

-57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.36

$5.93 SCR 84.9

-70.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.42

$0.85 SCR 12.24

102.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 730

$30.22 SCR 433

46.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.01

$8.42 SCR 121

-86.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.59

$2.64 SCR 37.83

-59.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.2

$13.79 SCR 198

-65.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.18

$1.45 SCR 20.79

-11.72%

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

$20.4K R 336.1K

$26.7K SCR 382.2K

-23.64%

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

$24.0K R 395.8K

$34.1K SCR 488.9K

-29.70%

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

$113 R 1,864

$115 SCR 1,649

-1.89%

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

$32.35 R 534

$41.28 SCR 591

-21.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 684

$142 SCR 2,037

-70.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 512

$67.9 SCR 973

-54.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

$15.36 SCR 220

-36.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$5.62 SCR 80.6

18.68%

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

$186 R 3,063

$158 SCR 2,264

17.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.6K

$8,468 SCR 121.3K

-48.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 828

$56.4 SCR 809

-11.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 501

$25.51 SCR 365

19.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,541

$68.8 SCR 986

35.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,327

$67.1 SCR 962

19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,239

$947 SCR 13.6K

-53.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,136

$802 SCR 11.5K

-53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$1,942 SCR 27.8K

-53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$1,620 SCR 23.2K

-56.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.4K

$706 SCR 10.1K

58.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$861 SCR 12.3K

-7.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$867 SCR 12.4K

73.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

16.5

-30.00%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Seychelles: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $1,008 in Seychelles. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $954 in Victoria.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $937 in Seychelles. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 174% higher in Seychelles.

Dining out costs 77% more in Seychelles.

Salaries are 61% 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 $1,650 per month in Seychelles and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 52% 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, $1,500 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.