cost
Cost of Living Index
Central African Republic40.2 / 100
South Africa89.8 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Central African Republic leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Central African Republic leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Central African Republic leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Central African Republic | 40.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | South Africa | 89.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Central African Republic | 79.9 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | South Africa | 77.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Central African Republic | $2,722 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | South Africa | $2,607 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Central African Republic | 8.2x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | South Africa | 13.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Central African Republic | $43/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | South Africa | $522/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Central African Republic | 6.3% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | South Africa | 32.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Central African Republic | 73.5 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | South Africa | 62.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Central African Republic | 66.0 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | South Africa | 73.5 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
No clear winner across 22 metrics.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Central African Republic leads cost, safety, and housing; South Africa leads rent, salary, and health.
cost
Central African Republic
40.2
South Africa
89.8
safety
Central African Republic
79.9
South Africa
77.3
housing
Central African Republic
$2,722
South Africa
$2,607
housing
Central African Republic
8.2x
South Africa
13.9x
jobs
Central African Republic
$43/mo
South Africa
$522/mo
jobs
Central African Republic
6.3%
South Africa
32.4%
health
Central African Republic
73.5
South Africa
62.5
health
Central African Republic
66.0 years
South Africa
73.5 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Central African Republic
3.4%
South Africa
1.2%
education
Central African Republic
85.1
South Africa
76.2
transport
Central African Republic
39.7
South Africa
71.3
safety
Central African Republic
1.0 per 100k
South Africa
43.7 per 100k
safety
Central African Republic
42.3 per 100k
South Africa
61.0 per 100k
health
Central African Republic
26.0%
South Africa
13.5%
quality
Central African Republic
5.9
South Africa
8
housing
Central African Republic
$8,905/sqm
South Africa
$1,704/sqm
religion
Central African Republic
13.9%
South Africa
77.3%
religion
Central African Republic
2.9%
South Africa
76.2%
religion
Central African Republic
64.7%
South Africa
48.4%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.