Cost of Living · SA vs ZA
🇸🇦 Riyadh vs 🇿🇦 Cape Town: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,033 in Saudi Arabia vs $833 in South Africa — 19.4% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in South Africa
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -22.1%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -22.1%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -22.09%
Closest to Saudi Arabia prices
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -6.89%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -6.9%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -6.92%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $667 | $520 (9,293 ZAR) | -22.1% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $533 | $416 (7,435 ZAR) | -22.09% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,219 | $950 (16,994 ZAR) | -22.1% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.43 | $6.93 (124 ZAR) | -17.79% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $35.14 | $28.88 (517 ZAR) | -17.81% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $5.52 | $4.62 (83 ZAR) | -16.3% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.63 | $0.55 (10 ZAR) | -12.7% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.84 | $1.60 (29 ZAR) | -13.04% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.96 | $1.70 (30 ZAR) | -13.27% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.76 | $5.00 (89 ZAR) | -13.19% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.30 | $2.00 (36 ZAR) | -13.04% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.77 | $2.40 (43 ZAR) | -13.36% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.91 | $5.99 (107 ZAR) | -13.31% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.15 | $1.00 (18 ZAR) | -13.04% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.81 | $2.31 (41 ZAR) | -17.79% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.07 | $5.65 (101 ZAR) | -6.92% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.34 | $1.93 (35 ZAR) | -17.52% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.33 | $1.15 (21 ZAR) | -13.53% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $32.63 | $27.30 (488 ZAR) | -16.33% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.38 | $1.16 (21 ZAR) | -15.94% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.87 | $1.54 (28 ZAR) | -17.65% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.84 | $0.69 (12 ZAR) | -17.86% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.72 | $0.67 (12 ZAR) | -6.94% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $100 | $84.00 (1,503 ZAR) | -16.33% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $35.14 | $29.40 (526 ZAR) | -16.33% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $22.59 | $18.90 (338 ZAR) | -16.33% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $23.43 | $19.26 (345 ZAR) | -17.8% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $6.56 | $5.39 (96 ZAR) | -17.84% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $14.06 | $11.55 (207 ZAR) | -17.85% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $41.75 | $38.87 (695 ZAR) | -6.9% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $68.32 | $63.61 (1,138 ZAR) | -6.89% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $117 | $96.28 (1,722 ZAR) | -17.81% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is South Africa than Saudi Arabia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $833 in South Africa versus $1,033 in Saudi Arabia — 19.4% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in South Africa?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.31 in South Africa (≈ 41.32 ZAR), versus about $2.81 in Saudi Arabia.
- How much is rent in South Africa compared to Saudi Arabia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $520/month in South Africa versus $667/month in Saudi Arabia (-22.1%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.