Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Sudan

Name: Sudan
Address: SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Sudan: $590 a month against $1,197 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Sudan
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Sudan Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,197

/mo nomad

🇸🇩 Sudan

$590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Sudan

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

A single person spends $1,197 per month in South Africa vs $590 in Sudan, rent included.

South Africa $1,197
Sudan $590

A couple spends around $1,879 per month in South Africa vs $955 in Sudan, rent included.

South Africa $1,879
Sudan $955

A family of three spends $2,562 per month in South Africa vs $1,320 in Sudan, rent included.

South Africa $2,562
Sudan $1,320

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($622–$1,527) than in Sudan ($462–$661), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 103% higher than in Sudan on average.

Both South Africa and Sudan are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 11% lower, Sudan 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 R 179

$2.98 SDG 1,781

265.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.93 R 706

$14.17 SDG 8,482

202.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 R 92.5

$2.61 SDG 1,560

115.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SDG 1,103

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SDG 1,249

Cappuccino

$2.34 R 38.56

$1.77 SDG 1,059

32.20%

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

$1.10 R 18.12

$0.65 SDG 387

69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.76

$0.59 SDG 351

42.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 39.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R 48.61

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.52

$1.17 SDG 701

1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 R 18.46

$1.08 SDG 648

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.15

$1.05 SDG 628

74.29%

Eggs

$2.51 R 41.25

$2.79 SDG 1,671

-10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 R 136

$6.59 SDG 3,942

25.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 87.5

$8.49 SDG 5,080

-37.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 R 126

$14.45 SDG 8,650

-47.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.72

$4.25 SDG 2,546

-57.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.72

$1.54 SDG 921

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.35

$1.56 SDG 933

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.01

$3.27 SDG 1,959

-46.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.61

$1.83 SDG 1,097

-18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.99

$1.08 SDG 649

35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.27

$0.65 SDG 388

98.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.65

$0.58 SDG 345

94.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.96 SDG 2,369

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 SDG 456

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SDG 1,006

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 R 55.6

$1.78 SDG 1,066

89.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 83.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 32.22

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 R 25.15

$0.54 SDG 321

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 R 991

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.51

$3.68 SDG 2,200

-74.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R 15.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 R 127

$5.01 SDG 2,999

54.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.66

$1.11 SDG 663

29.73%

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

$35.6K R 585.3K

$4,938 SDG 3.0M

620.57%

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

$32.4K R 533.6K

$9,865 SDG 5.9M

228.81%

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

$134 R 2,207

$46.38 SDG 27.8K

189.31%

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

$34.27 R 564

$9.35 SDG 5,594

266.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.66 R 669

$31.87 SDG 19.1K

27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.99 R 543

$7.88 SDG 4,715

318.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 R 191

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 R 119

$4.06 SDG 2,433

78.33%

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

$223 R 3,676

$85.1 SDG 50.9K

162.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,429 R 122.2K

$1,969 SDG 1.2M

277.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 R 889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 R 540

$8.71 SDG 5,216

276.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,669

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 R 1,435

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 R 7,986

$528 SDG 315.8K

-8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 R 6,395

$206 SDG 123.1K

89.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 R 15.5K

$1,175 SDG 703.3K

-19.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 R 13.1K

$452 SDG 270.6K

75.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,071 R 17.6K

$1,541 SDG 922.3K

-30.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$768 R 12.6K

$1,112 SDG 665.8K

-30.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,475 R 24.3K

$230 SDG 137.6K

541.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

-62.57%

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

Last update for South Africa: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sudan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$389 32.5%

Sudan

$206 34.8% 47.1% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$209 17.5%

Sudan

$88 14.8% 58.1% $122

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$197 16.5%

Sudan

$214 36.2% 8.3% $16

Eating Out

South Africa

$158 13.2%

Sudan

$58 9.8% 63.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$124 10.4%

Sudan

$3.9 * 0.7% 96.8% $120

Getting Around

South Africa

$72 6%

Sudan

$5.8 * 1% 91.9% $66

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Sudan

$16 2.7% 66.3% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $421 in South Africa vs $640 in Sudan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,047 in Cape Town and $531 in Khartoum.

Average salary: $1,505 in South Africa vs $228 in Sudan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in Sudan.

Dining out costs 171% more in South Africa.

Salaries are about 6.6 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇸🇩 Sudan

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

Same time as South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

40,533,330

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Sudanese Pound SDG £

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR

1,000 SDG = 1.67 USD

1,000 SDG = 1.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.45 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.44 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR).

Sudanese Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 599 SDG (1,000 SDG = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 671 SDG (1,000 SDG = 1.49 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Sudan 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Sudan

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 Sudan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sudan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 51% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, South Africa costs about 103% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in South Africa. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sudan, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sudan is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.