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

Name: Somalia
Address: SO

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $344 in Somalia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $539 in Somalia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $733 in Somalia, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 197% higher than in Somalia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Somalia are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Somalia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$3.06 SOS 1,736

198.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$15.08 SOS 8,563

159.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$4.95 SOS 2,809

4.85%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$1.37 SOS 777

44.53%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.78 SOS 444

28.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.36 SOS 203

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$10.38 SOS 5,897

-78.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$14.70 SOS 8,352

-82.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$1.39 SOS 789

-19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.92 SOS 521

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.10 SOS 625

40.00%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.34 SOS 1,328

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$4.95 SOS 2,811

58.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$4.64 SOS 2,634

-1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$5.28 SOS 2,998

26.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$3.08 SOS 1,749

-49.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.64 SOS 934

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$2.84 SOS 1,616

-46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.22 SOS 693

23.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.18 SOS 669

6.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.32 SOS 751

-3.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.87 SOS 491

25.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.74 SOS 423

31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.13 SOS 639

151.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$1.98 SOS 1,122

162.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$1.96 SOS 1,114

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.29 SOS 162

493.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$25.02 SOS 14.2K

76.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$1.51 SOS 859

-23.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.58 SOS 331

84.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$4.52 SOS 2,567

4.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.05 SOS 597

21.90%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$5,691 SOS 3.2M

257.84%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$8,577 SOS 4.9M

179.65%

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

$113 R 1,869

$101 SOS 57.1K

12.27%

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

$32.35 R 536

$7.05 SOS 4,003

358.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$33.20 SOS 18.9K

24.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$28.94 SOS 16.4K

7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$9.33 SOS 5,297

4.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$4.91 SOS 2,788

35.85%

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

$186 R 3,072

$34.51 SOS 19.6K

437.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$579 SOS 328.6K

660.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$14.88 SOS 8,450

237.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$19.76 SOS 11.2K

53.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$20.69 SOS 11.8K

351.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$28.79 SOS 16.4K

179.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$126 SOS 71.7K

247.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$70.8 SOS 40.2K

425.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$363 SOS 206.1K

148.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$184 SOS 104.5K

283.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$12.5K SOS 7.1M

-91.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$3,648 SOS 2.1M

-78.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$270 SOS 153.2K

458.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

9.43

22.48%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Somalia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $85.0 in Somalia. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $187 in Hargeysa.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $292 in Somalia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 333% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 289% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 167% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 418% 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 Somalia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somalia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 219% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Somalia, contributing to the overall 219% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Somalia, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Somalia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.