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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,282 per month in South Sudan vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,889 per month in South Sudan vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,495 per month in South Sudan vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in South Sudan is about 222% higher than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

South Sudan sits 146% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in South Sudan ($3,282–$3,282) than in South Africa ($803–$1,362), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.06 SSP 14.2K

$9.14 R 150

-44.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.09 SSP 135.4K

$39.14 R 643

22.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 SSP 19.3K

$5.19 R 85.3

32.37%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.50

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

$0.98 SSP 2,765

$1.00 R 16.45

-2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.28

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.43

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.90

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.37

Eggs

$2.07 SSP 5,839

$2.25 R 36.96

-8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 SSP 20.1K

$7.86 R 129

-9.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 SSP 15.4K

$4.58 R 75.3

19.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 SSP 32.8K

$6.68 R 110

74.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.88

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.00

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.81

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.71

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.96

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SSP 1,470

$0.97 R 15.93

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.62

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 727

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 SSP 19.5K

$1.15 R 18.93

502.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 SSP 4,127

$1.28 R 21.09

14.84%

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

$20.4K R 334.8K

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

$24.0K R 394.3K

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

$113 R 1,856

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

$32.35 R 532

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 SSP 283.6K

$41.46 R 682

143.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$344 SSP 969.6K

$31.04 R 510

1009.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

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

$839 SSP 2.4M

$186 R 3,051

352.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 824

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 499

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,535

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,322

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 SSP 9.7M

$439 R 7,210

684.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 SSP 7.5M

$372 R 6,112

616.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$12.0K SSP 33.7M

$903 R 14.8K

1225.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 SSP 3.6M

$705 R 11.6K

81.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,083 SSP 3.0M

$1,116 R 18.3K

-2.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 SSP 1.7M

$793 R 13.0K

-25.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,002 SSP 5.6M

$1,506 R 24.8K

32.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.85

11.55

-23.38%

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

Last update for South Sudan: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $3,532 in South Sudan vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,532 in Juba and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $1,764 in South Sudan vs $1,513 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 860% higher in South Sudan.

Dining out costs 34% more in South Sudan.

Salaries are 17% higher in South Sudan, 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 Sudan vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 203% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Africa, contributing to the overall 203% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in South Sudan it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Africa 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.