Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Western Sahara

Name: Western Sahara
Address: EH

For one person, living is cheaper in Western Sahara: $120 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇪🇭 Western Sahara

$120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Western Sahara

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

A single person spends $1,203 per month in South Africa vs $120 in Western Sahara, rent included.

South Africa $1,203
Western Sahara $120

A couple spends around $1,893 per month in South Africa vs $174 in Western Sahara, rent included.

South Africa $1,893
Western Sahara $174

A family of three spends $2,583 per month in South Africa vs $229 in Western Sahara, rent included.

South Africa $2,583
Western Sahara $229

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Western Sahara ($119–$119), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 905% higher than in Western Sahara on average.

Both South Africa and Western Sahara are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 12% lower, Western Sahara 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 178

$4.19 MAD 41.26

154.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 694

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.6

$3.42 MAD 33.64

69.59%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.29

$2.10 MAD 20.68

12.38%

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

$1.12 R 18.59

$0.43 MAD 4.22

160.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 15.02

$0.30 MAD 2.93

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 51.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.61

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.95

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.87

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.3

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 127

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.57

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.94

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.48

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.31

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.85

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.1

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.62

$0.73 MAD 7.14

102.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.24

$0.72 MAD 7.11

51.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.49

$0.68 MAD 6.65

45.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.80

$1.31 MAD 12.88

9.16%

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

$35.3K R 588.3K

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

$32.4K R 540.5K

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

$133 R 2,212

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

$34.83 R 580

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 663

$20.07 MAD 198

98.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 551

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 194

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 120

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

$224 R 3,734

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 91.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 903

$46.04 MAD 453

17.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 569

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,701

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,475

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,202

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,628

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 25.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Western Sahara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Western Sahara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Western Sahara

–

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Western Sahara

–

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Western Sahara

–

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Western Sahara

–

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Western Sahara

–

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Western Sahara

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇪🇭 Western Sahara

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

2 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

612,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Western Sahara 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Western Sahara

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 Western Sahara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Western Sahara is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 90% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, South Africa costs about 905% 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.

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

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