VanBasket South Africa

Food Prices in South Africa — August 2026

Updated: 1 August 2026

Current Index

vs World Average

-28%

Official (IMF + World Bank)

Real grocery prices

Price per unit in your currency

Prices known for 4 of 10 items — help fill the rest

Milk 1 L

open data

$1.24

-30% World (base = 100)
Eggs 12 pcs

open data

$3.16

-8% World (base = 100)
Chicken 1 kg

open data

$4.15

-29% World (base = 100)
Rice 1 kg

open data

$1.54

-32% World (base = 100)
Bread 500 g loaf
Water 1.5 L bottle
Cheese 1 kg
Tomatoes 1 kg
Potatoes 1 kg
Beer 0.5 L bottle

Monthly basket, 1 person

Directional: 4 milk + 2 eggs + 4 chicken + 4 rice

$34.04

Know the prices in South Africa?

Check your last receipt and send a couple of numbers — the next traveller gets a better page.

Every traveller price is reviewed by hand; the row shows how many reports from the last 90 days back the figure.

Data: WhereNext (CC BY 4.0, January 2026)

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Product

Price (€ EUR)

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Reports are reviewed by hand — only what an editor confirms reaches the site.

Recent real receipts

Real purchases logged in this country (crowdsourced, local names)

Smart Food Chocolate Flavour

FUTURELIFE · 500g

Pick n Pay Express, Touws River 15 Oct

2.88 €
Tasy Beef

Knorr

Pick n Pay Express, Touws River 15 Oct

0.45 €
Tasty chicken

Pick n Pay Express, Touws River 15 Oct

0.45 €
Taystee wheat

Jungle

Pick n Pay, Johannesburg 10 Oct

3.79 €
Oats

Jungle · 1 kg

Pick n Pay Clothing, Johannesburg 10 Oct

2.47 €
Spicy Calabrian Chilli & Spinach

Woolworths Food

Woolworths Food, Johannesburg 12 Aug

129.99 ZAR
Mint Buttercup

GD

Shoprite, Groblersdal 11 Jun

1,472 ZAR
Bridge Whey Protein - Cocoa Chocolate

Metalab

Dischem, Springs 26 Dec

989 ZAR
Lean Whey raspberry

Biogen

Dischem, Springs 26 Dec

699.99 ZAR
fruit punch

Woolworths

Boskruin Village Shopping Center, Randburg 16 Dec

49.99 ZAR

Data: Open Food Facts — Open Prices (ODbL)

What this means for vanlife

Food in South Africa is below the world average by 28%. Good for long-term van travel — grocery costs are noticeably lower than in most developed countries.

↓ Year-over-year change: -0.2% 2026

Index History

Index:

Based on World Bank ICP 2021, adjusted with IMF CPI

Compare with South Africa

South Africa

World (base = 100)

100

If you spend 100 at home:

100

Select home and destination countries to compare food costs

Similar Countries

Moldova 72 -28%

Colombia 72 -28%

Tunisia 74 -26%

Ukraine 70 -30%

Tanzania 70 -30%

More countries in Africa

Tanzania 70 -30%

Tunisia 74 -26%

Kenya 78 -22%

Namibia 80 -20%

Ghana 82 -18%

Senegal 85 -15%

FAQ

Is food expensive in South Africa?

No, food in South Africa is cheap. The VanBasket Index is 72 (world average = 100), meaning food is 28% below the global average — great for budget travel.

How much should I budget for food in South Africa per month?

If the world average monthly food spend is $300, in South Africa you can expect to spend around $216. This is based on the VanBasket Index of 72 (world = 100).

How does South Africa compare to similar countries?

South Africa has a VanBasket Index of 72. Similar or nearby countries: Moldova, Colombia, Tunisia.

How often is the food price data for South Africa updated?

The index is updated monthly using IMF Consumer Price Index data. The baseline is from World Bank ICP 2021.

About the data: The VanBasket Index is based on World Bank ICP 2021 food price level data, adjusted monthly using IMF CPI. World average = 100. Index > 100 means food is more expensive than the global average. API for developers →

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