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 $3,172 per month in South Sudan vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,854 per month in South Sudan vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,536 per month in South Sudan vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

South Sudan costs about 211% more than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

South Sudan sits 137% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

South Sudan has a wider regional cost range ($3,172–$3,172) than South Africa ($819–$1,339), so location matters more when choosing where to live in South Sudan.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 SSP 13.8K

$9.05 R 147

-45.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.82 SSP 131.8K

$39.48 R 642

18.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 SSP 19.3K

$4.94 R 80.3

38.87%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

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

$1.02 SSP 2,872

$0.95 R 15.40

7.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

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

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

Eggs

$2.14 SSP 6,029

$2.34 R 38.05

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 SSP 20.7K

$7.73 R 126

-4.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 SSP 15.2K

$4.49 R 73.1

20.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.68 SSP 32.9K

$6.73 R 109

73.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SSP 1,460

$0.94 R 15.21

-44.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 SSP 20.1K

$1.13 R 18.41

530.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 SSP 4,274

$1.24 R 20.15

22.58%

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

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

$113 R 1,843

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

$32.36 R 526

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.5 SSP 280.0K

$41.45 R 674

139.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$352 SSP 990.1K

$31.59 R 513

1013.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

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

$826 SSP 2.3M

$187 R 3,039

341.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,480 SSP 9.8M

$442 R 7,175

688.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 SSP 7.7M

$367 R 5,963

648.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$12.1K SSP 34.1M

$884 R 14.4K

1271.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 SSP 3.7M

$723 R 11.8K

80.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,074 SSP 3.0M

$1,090 R 17.7K

-1.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$608 SSP 1.7M

$780 R 12.7K

-21.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,006 SSP 5.6M

$1,558 R 25.3K

28.79%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $3,536 in South Sudan vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,536 in Juba and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $1,784 in South Sudan vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 861% higher in South Sudan.

Dining out costs 34% more in South Sudan.

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

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 194% 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 194% 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.