Cost of Living · ZA vs NG
🇿🇦 Cape Town vs 🇳🇬 Lagos: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $833 in South Africa vs $304 in Nigeria — 63.46% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Nigeria
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -69.46%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -69.46%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -69.46%
Closest to South Africa prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -28.36%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -28.67%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -28.74%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Africa | Nigeria | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $520 | $159 (240,876 NGN) | -69.46% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $416 | $127 (192,698 NGN) | -69.46% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $950 | $290 (440,467 NGN) | -69.46% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.93 | $2.73 (4,145 NGN) | -60.61% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $28.88 | $11.37 (17,264 NGN) | -60.63% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $4.62 | $1.98 (3,006 NGN) | -57.14% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.55 | $0.28 (425 NGN) | -49.09% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.60 | $0.81 (1,230 NGN) | -49.37% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.70 | $0.86 (1,306 NGN) | -49.41% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.00 | $2.54 (3,857 NGN) | -49.2% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.00 | $1.01 (1,534 NGN) | -49.5% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.40 | $1.22 (1,852 NGN) | -49.17% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $5.99 | $3.04 (4,616 NGN) | -49.25% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.00 | $0.51 (774 NGN) | -49% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.31 | $0.91 (1,382 NGN) | -60.61% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.65 | $4.03 (6,119 NGN) | -28.67% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.93 | $0.76 (1,154 NGN) | -60.62% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.15 | $0.58 (881 NGN) | -49.57% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $27.30 | $11.70 (17,765 NGN) | -57.14% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.16 | $0.50 (759 NGN) | -56.9% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.54 | $0.61 (926 NGN) | -60.39% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.69 | $0.27 (410 NGN) | -60.87% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.67 | $0.48 (729 NGN) | -28.36% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $84.00 | $36.00 (54,662 NGN) | -57.14% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $29.40 | $12.60 (19,132 NGN) | -57.14% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $18.90 | $8.10 (12,299 NGN) | -57.14% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $19.26 | $7.58 (11,509 NGN) | -60.64% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $5.39 | $2.12 (3,219 NGN) | -60.67% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $11.55 | $4.55 (6,909 NGN) | -60.61% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $38.87 | $27.70 (42,059 NGN) | -28.74% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $63.61 | $45.33 (68,828 NGN) | -28.74% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $96.28 | $37.91 (57,562 NGN) | -60.63% |
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 Nigeria than South Africa?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $304 in Nigeria versus $833 in South Africa — 63.46% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Nigeria?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $0.91 in Nigeria (≈ 1381.73 NGN), versus about $2.31 in South Africa.
- How much is rent in Nigeria compared to South Africa?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $159/month in Nigeria versus $520/month in South Africa (-69.46%). 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.