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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,646 per month in Spain vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,401 per month in Spain vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,155 per month in Spain vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Spain costs about 61% more than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Spain sits 23% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Spain has a wider regional cost range ($1,133–$3,262) than South Africa ($819–$1,339), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.91

$9.05 R 147

78.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.27

$39.48 R 642

45.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$4.94 R 80.3

114.98%

Cappuccino

$2.38 €2.05

$2.06 R 33.47

15.53%

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

$2.59 €2.23

$0.95 R 15.40

172.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$0.81 R 13.13

135.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.21 R 35.90

57.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.46

$2.48 R 40.33

62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.11 R 18.07

11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.02 R 16.64

55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.56 R 25.28

1.92%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.62

$2.34 R 38.05

30.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.55 €12.52

$7.73 R 126

88.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.49 R 73.1

87.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.35

$6.73 R 109

130.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.56 R 25.40

62.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.43 R 23.22

40.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.44 R 23.48

45.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.51 R 24.55

67.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.22 R 19.81

51.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.28 R 20.74

47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.04 R 16.89

29.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.94 R 15.21

-21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.47

$2.99 R 48.55

112.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$5.16 R 83.8

9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.39 R 22.55

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.66 R 26.93

24.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.63 R 26.48

3.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 €30.20

$45.05 R 732

-22.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.80

$1.13 R 18.41

291.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.10 R 17.93

21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.32 €22.64

$4.86 R 78.9

441.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.24 R 20.15

48.39%

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

$38.8K €33.4K

$20.3K R 330.2K

91.04%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$23.5K R 381.4K

34.77%

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

$150 €129

$113 R 1,843

32.64%

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

$20.56 €17.69

$32.36 R 526

-36.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.49 €29.67

$41.45 R 674

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.25

$31.59 R 513

51.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €13.80

$9.61 R 156

67.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €7.73

$6.83 R 111

31.63%

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

$509 €438

$187 R 3,039

172.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,884 €8,502

$4,362 R 70.9K

126.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €74.4

$49.50 R 804

74.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.14 €31.95

$30.42 R 494

22.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €79.1

$91.7 R 1,489

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.6

$78.9 R 1,281

38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €899

$442 R 7,175

136.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €717

$367 R 5,963

127.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,453

$884 R 14.4K

91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,065

$723 R 11.8K

71.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,378 €3,766

$1,090 R 17.7K

301.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 €2,363

$780 R 12.7K

252.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,073 €1,783

$1,558 R 25.3K

33.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

11.55

-69.61%

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

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $898 in Spain vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,566 in Madrid and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $2,030 in Spain 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 144% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 51% more in Spain.

Public transport is 106% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 34% higher in Spain, 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

Spain vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 104% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Africa, contributing to the overall 104% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in Spain 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.