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

Name: Sudan
Address: SD

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $256 in Sudan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $425 in Sudan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $594 in Sudan, rent included.

South Africa costs about 298% more than Sudan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Sudan are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Sudan 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$7.48 SDG 4,478

20.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$33.83 SDG 20.2K

16.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$7.83 SDG 4,690

-36.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 SDG 1,208

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 SDG 2,052

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$2.40 SDG 1,438

-14.17%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.62 SDG 373

53.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.44 SDG 262

84.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.54 SDG 922

-27.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.19 SDG 712

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$2.91 SDG 1,741

-46.39%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$3.01 SDG 1,804

-22.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$12.66 SDG 7,577

-38.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$7.56 SDG 4,525

-40.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$8.19 SDG 4,901

-17.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$4.87 SDG 2,914

-67.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.49 SDG 894

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.33 SDG 1,395

-38.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$2.03 SDG 1,216

-25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.62 SDG 970

-24.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.19 SDG 711

7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.61 SDG 364

54.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.98 SDG 2,385

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 SDG 2,429

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.48 SDG 883

102.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.48 SDG 285

239.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$24.82 SDG 14.9K

81.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$2.75 SDG 1,647

-58.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.02 SDG 612

7.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$9.85 SDG 5,898

-50.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.31 SDG 785

-5.34%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$17.5K SDG 10.5M

34.17%

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

$113 R 1,843

$52.6 SDG 31.5K

115.73%

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

$32.36 R 526

$9.45 SDG 5,654

242.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$71.2 SDG 42.6K

-41.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$33.01 SDG 19.8K

-4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$4.10 SDG 2,454

66.59%

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

$187 R 3,039

$62.6 SDG 37.4K

198.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$1,858 SDG 1.1M

134.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$14.88 SDG 8,906

232.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$56.1 SDG 33.6K

63.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$51.8 SDG 31.0K

52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$688 SDG 411.5K

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$344 SDG 206.0K

6.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,322 SDG 791.6K

-33.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$630 SDG 377.1K

14.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,355 SDG 811.2K

-19.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$1,054 SDG 630.7K

-26.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$198 SDG 118.4K

687.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-55.58%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sudan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $232 in Sudan. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $628 in Khartoum.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $201 in Sudan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 483% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 656% 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 Sudan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sudan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 140% 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 Sudan, contributing to the overall 140% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.