Cost of Living Comparison Between Western Sahara and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Western Sahara and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $640 per month in Western Sahara vs $1,021 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,034 per month in Western Sahara vs $1,594 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,427 per month in Western Sahara vs $2,167 in South Africa, rent included.

Western Sahara is roughly 37% cheaper than South Africa on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Western Sahara and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Western Sahara 52% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Western Sahara has a wider regional cost range ($640–$640) than South Africa ($804–$1,352), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Western Sahara.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 MAD 35.87

$9.20 R 152

-57.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.06 MAD 269

$38.46 R 633

-24.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 MAD 42.46

$5.11 R 84.2

-10.18%

Cappuccino

$1.66 MAD 15.35

$2.03 R 33.38

-18.23%

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

$0.52 MAD 4.82

$0.95 R 15.60

-45.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 2.94

$0.79 R 13.06

-59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 MAD 32.38

$2.31 R 37.97

51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 MAD 41.64

$2.46 R 40.48

82.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 7.68

$1.08 R 17.77

-23.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 MAD 5.53

$0.96 R 15.85

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MAD 17.28

$1.60 R 26.41

16.88%

Eggs

$1.36 MAD 12.58

$2.32 R 38.28

-41.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 MAD 106

$7.48 R 123

53.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 MAD 31.83

$4.57 R 75.2

-24.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MAD 87.5

$6.56 R 108

44.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MAD 14.04

$1.58 R 26.06

-3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MAD 10.87

$1.45 R 23.90

-18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.18

$1.50 R 24.78

-55.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 MAD 5.25

$1.55 R 25.45

-63.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 MAD 4.38

$1.26 R 20.83

-62.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 MAD 3.10

$1.29 R 21.23

-73.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MAD 8.21

$1.07 R 17.64

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.58

$0.90 R 14.87

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R 48.11

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 R 82.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 MAD 31.75

$1.68 R 27.62

104.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MAD 5.61

$1.72 R 28.32

-64.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.75 MAD 109

$45.17 R 744

-73.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 MAD 7.18

$1.11 R 18.27

-29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 MAD 6.09

$1.06 R 17.48

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 R 79.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MAD 11.43

$1.24 R 20.47

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

$39.7K MAD 367.2K

$21.0K R 346.4K

88.73%

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

$26.5K MAD 244.9K

$24.1K R 396.6K

9.94%

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

$32.57 MAD 301

$112 R 1,846

-70.94%

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

$31.87 R 525

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.26 MAD 206

$40.80 R 672

-45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.79 MAD 211

$31.46 R 518

-27.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.19 MAD 316

$9.71 R 160

252.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.50 MAD 32.36

$6.68 R 110

-47.60%

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

$286 MAD 2,648

$192 R 3,159

49.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,529 MAD 32.6K

$4,306 R 70.9K

-18.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.94 MAD 323

$49.12 R 809

-28.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 MAD 532

$30.89 R 509

86.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 MAD 687

$93.2 R 1,535

-20.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 MAD 735

$78.6 R 1,295

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 MAD 3,224

$451 R 7,426

-22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,630

$366 R 6,033

-51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MAD 6,300

$888 R 14.6K

-23.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MAD 2,655

$709 R 11.7K

-59.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,148 R 18.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 R 13.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,467 R 24.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Western Sahara: April 21, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $343 in Western Sahara vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $343 in Laayoune and $762 in Cape Town.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 21% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 33% more expensive 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

Western Sahara vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Western Sahara is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% 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 Western Sahara, contributing to the overall 68% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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