Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and the Seychelles

Name: Seychelles
Address: SC

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,203 a month against $2,075 in the Seychelles, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in the Seychelles
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Seychelles Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$2,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in the Seychelles

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in South Africa versus $2,075 in the Seychelles.

South Africa $1,203
Seychelles $2,075

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,893 in South Africa versus $3,288 in the Seychelles.

South Africa $1,893
Seychelles $3,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,583 in South Africa versus $4,502 in the Seychelles.

South Africa $2,583
Seychelles $4,502

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $1,765–$2,213 in the Seychelles. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in South Africa costs about 42% less than in the Seychelles on average.

South Africa (12% below) and the Seychelles (52% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 177

$18.65 SCR 271

-42.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 692

$91.9 SCR 1,335

-54.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.3

$12.55 SCR 182

-53.78%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.16

$4.46 SCR 64.8

-47.09%

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

$1.12 R 18.53

$2.30 SCR 33.40

-51.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.97

$2.23 SCR 32.35

-59.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.13

$7.63 SCR 111

-68.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.8

$3.83 SCR 55.6

-20.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.55

$1.83 SCR 26.64

-35.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.80

$1.68 SCR 24.45

-32.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.86

$2.40 SCR 34.83

-27.50%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.73

$3.76 SCR 54.7

-31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$17.58 SCR 255

-52.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.0

$7.63 SCR 111

-32.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 126

$12.63 SCR 183

-39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.47

$2.13 SCR 30.98

-16.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.85

$2.95 SCR 42.79

-41.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.38

$1.95 SCR 28.25

-9.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.21

$7.39 SCR 107

-76.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.77

$1.48 SCR 21.45

0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.34

$1.60 SCR 23.24

-8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.49

$1.45 SCR 21.12

-15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.22

$1.22 SCR 17.76

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 53.9

$24.31 SCR 353

-86.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.1

$10.47 SCR 152

-52.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.86

$3.35 SCR 48.63

-55.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.21

$3.98 SCR 57.7

-51.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.54

$0.74 SCR 10.71

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 985

$39.29 SCR 570

50.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.18

$28.25 SCR 410

-96.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

$14.29 SCR 207

-47.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.72

$1.60 SCR 23.27

-10.63%

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

$35.3K R 586.4K

$26.5K SCR 384.4K

33.30%

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

$32.4K R 538.8K

$32.3K SCR 469.5K

0.29%

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

$133 R 2,205

$130 SCR 1,887

2.11%

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

$34.83 R 579

$41.58 SCR 604

-16.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 660

$122 SCR 1,772

-67.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 550

$90.6 SCR 1,315

-63.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 193

$8.04 SCR 117

44.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

$7.43 SCR 108

-3.36%

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

$224 R 3,722

$140 SCR 2,034

59.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.7K

$8,505 SCR 123.5K

-35.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 900

$36.67 SCR 532

47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 567

$24.66 SCR 358

38.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,696

$74.0 SCR 1,075

37.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,470

$110 SCR 1,593

-19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,176

$923 SCR 13.4K

-46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,607

$856 SCR 12.4K

-53.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.7K

$2,113 SCR 30.7K

-55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.7K

$1,722 SCR 25.0K

-51.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$682 SCR 9,897

61.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$879 SCR 12.8K

-12.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 24.9K

$815 SCR 11.8K

84.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

-6.42%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Seychelles: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Seychelles

$856 41.2% 115% $458

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Seychelles

$294 14.2% 41.6% $86

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Seychelles

$336 16.2% 71.2% $140

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Seychelles

$304 14.7% 93.5% $147

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Seychelles

$110 5.3% 12.1% $15

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Seychelles

$70 * 3.4% 1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Seychelles

$105 5.1% 122% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $422 in South Africa, $957 in the Seychelles. Capital cities: $450 in Pretoria vs $918 in Victoria.

National salary averages: $1,488 in South Africa, $903 in the Seychelles. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 127% higher in the Seychelles.

Dining out costs 79% more in the Seychelles.

Public transport is 97% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 65% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇸🇨 Seychelles

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

2 h ahead of South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

119,773

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 SCR = 6.89 USD

100 SCR = 6.17 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.54 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 14.52 SCR (100 SCR = 6.89 USD). 1 EUR = 16.2 SCR (100 SCR = 6.17 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Seychelles 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Seychelles

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 Seychelles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,075 per month in the Seychelles and $1,203 in South Africa, South Africa comes out about 42% 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 $957 in the Seychelles 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.