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 $1,696 in Seychelles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $2,569 in Seychelles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $3,441 in Seychelles.

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

South Africa (24% below) and Seychelles (27% above) straddle the global median.

South Africa ($819–$1,339) and Seychelles ($1,329–$1,979) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 148

$16.98 SCR 246

-46.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 645

$68.0 SCR 985

-41.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.7

$6.80 SCR 98.5

-27.35%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.66

$4.73 SCR 68.5

-56.45%

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

$0.95 R 15.49

$2.21 SCR 31.93

-57.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.21

$2.12 SCR 30.64

-61.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.12

$8.40 SCR 122

-73.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.57

$3.75 SCR 54.3

-33.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.18

$1.81 SCR 26.14

-38.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.74

$1.61 SCR 23.37

-36.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.43

$1.93 SCR 27.98

-19.17%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.28

$3.46 SCR 50.1

-32.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$20.21 SCR 292

-61.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.5

$6.05 SCR 87.6

-25.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 110

$9.98 SCR 144

-32.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.55

$2.04 SCR 29.58

-23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.36

$2.50 SCR 36.19

-42.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.62

$2.34 SCR 33.85

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.69

$5.96 SCR 86.2

-74.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.93

$1.35 SCR 19.52

-9.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.86

$1.31 SCR 18.92

-2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.99

$1.38 SCR 19.96

-24.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.30

$1.51 SCR 21.90

-37.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.84

$21.56 SCR 312

-86.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 84.3

$12.05 SCR 174

-57.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.69

$3.27 SCR 47.35

-57.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.09

$5.74 SCR 83.1

-71.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.64

$0.80 SCR 11.59

103.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 736

$29.18 SCR 422

54.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.51

$8.45 SCR 122

-86.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.03

$2.66 SCR 38.53

-58.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 79.4

$13.97 SCR 202

-65.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.26

$1.48 SCR 21.44

-16.22%

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

$20.3K R 332.1K

$26.8K SCR 387.7K

-24.14%

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

$23.5K R 383.6K

$34.3K SCR 495.8K

-31.48%

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

$113 R 1,854

$117 SCR 1,686

-2.64%

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

$32.36 R 529

$39.94 SCR 578

-18.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 678

$139 SCR 2,006

-70.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 516

$67.0 SCR 969

-52.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 157

$15.52 SCR 225

-38.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 112

$5.56 SCR 80.5

22.84%

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

$187 R 3,057

$158 SCR 2,289

18.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 71.3K

$8,529 SCR 123.5K

-48.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 809

$56.6 SCR 820

-12.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 497

$24.89 SCR 360

22.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,498

$68.1 SCR 986

34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,289

$67.3 SCR 974

17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,218

$933 SCR 13.5K

-52.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,998

$789 SCR 11.4K

-53.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,900 SCR 27.5K

-53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$1,614 SCR 23.4K

-55.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.8K

$718 SCR 10.4K

51.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$907 SCR 13.1K

-14.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.5K

$832 SCR 12.0K

87.20%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Seychelles: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $1,000 in Seychelles. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $952 in Victoria.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $944 in Seychelles. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 172% higher in Seychelles.

Dining out costs 74% more in Seychelles.

Salaries are 61% 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 Seychelles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,654 per month in Seychelles and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 53% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

South Africa is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.