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 $341 in Somalia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $535 in Somalia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $729 in Somalia, rent included.

South Africa costs about 199% more than 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 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$3.06 SOS 1,739

195.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$14.93 SOS 8,479

164.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$4.93 SOS 2,803

0.20%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$1.32 SOS 749

56.06%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.72 SOS 410

31.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.35 SOS 200

131.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$10.60 SOS 6,023

-79.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$14.72 SOS 8,362

-83.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.44 SOS 817

-22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.92 SOS 525

10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.04 SOS 593

50.00%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.31 SOS 1,314

1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$5.10 SOS 2,896

51.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$4.67 SOS 2,651

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$5.55 SOS 3,152

21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.96 SOS 1,683

-47.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.62 SOS 922

-11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.82 SOS 1,602

-48.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$1.21 SOS 690

24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.15 SOS 652

6.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.27 SOS 723

0.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.89 SOS 507

16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.69 SOS 391

36.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.08 SOS 616

176.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$2.03 SOS 1,155

154.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.99 SOS 1,128

-30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.31 SOS 177

425.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$24.90 SOS 14.1K

80.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.46 SOS 829

-22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.59 SOS 334

86.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$4.45 SOS 2,527

9.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.00 SOS 568

24.00%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$5,687 SOS 3.2M

257.28%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$8,558 SOS 4.9M

174.22%

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

$113 R 1,843

$99.6 SOS 56.6K

13.84%

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

$32.36 R 526

$6.91 SOS 3,926

368.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$33.78 SOS 19.2K

22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$28.95 SOS 16.4K

9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$9.30 SOS 5,283

3.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$5.02 SOS 2,849

36.06%

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

$187 R 3,039

$33.84 SOS 19.2K

452.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$592 SOS 336.3K

636.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$14.67 SOS 8,335

237.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$19.88 SOS 11.3K

53.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$20.76 SOS 11.8K

341.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$28.26 SOS 16.1K

179.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$125 SOS 71.2K

252.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$70.5 SOS 40.0K

420.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$367 SOS 208.4K

140.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$182 SOS 103.2K

298.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$12.3K SOS 7.0M

-91.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$3,596 SOS 2.0M

-78.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$271 SOS 154.2K

473.88%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Somalia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $86.0 in Somalia. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $158 in Mogadishu.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $286 in Somalia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 328% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 289% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 220% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 431% 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 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.