Cost Of Living in Sudan 2024

Average monthly spending for singles, couples, students, and families in Sudan

Whether you're living in Sudan or planning to move there, it is very important to know the cost of living and the prices of things. Here we list the average spending for the four main population groups.

Singles

The average monthly expense for a single person living in Sudan is 7,500 SDG. Expenses can range from 2,500 SDG at the minimum level to 50,000 SDG at the highest end.

Couples

The average monthly spending of couples in Sudan is 12,000 SDG. Expenditure can range from 4,200 SDG to 67,000 SDG per month.

Families

The average cost of living for families in Sudan is 17,000 SDG per month. Families spend anywhere from 5,800 SDG to 91,000 SDG.

Students

The average monthly expenditure for students in Sudan is 4,800 SDG. Students spend from 1,900 SDG to 8,600 SDG per month.

Expenditure to Income Ratio in Sudan

One of the most definite ways to determine how affordable a place is measuring the ratio of expenses to salary. A high expense-to-income to ratio indicates a high cost-of-living index while a low expenditure-to-salary ratio means the place is affordable to live in.

Expense to income distribution levels

Interpretation and Analysis

The average spending-to-salary ratio in Sudan is 88% This means that on average, people spend around 88% of their income for living. According to the distribution table, 14% of the population spend approximately 60% to 70% of their income every month.

Individual
79%
Spending-Income-Ratio

---

74%

87%

Couple
84%
Spending-Income-Ratio

---

78%

92%

Family
92%
Spending-Income-Ratio

---

86%

100%

How do people spend their money in Sudan?

We asked thousands of people about their spending habits and expenditure breaks. Below are their answers.

People living in Sudan typically spend from 11% to 30% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 22% being the average. The average spend on housing is 3,200 SDG with expenditure ranging from 250 SDG to 32,000 SDG. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses. Housing costs are highest for families and lowest for students as expected.

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Sudan ranges from 5% to 12% of total expenses with 8% being the average. The average monthly cost of utilities is 540 SDG with 42 SDG and 5,400 SDG being the upper and lower limits.

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether you live near your work or school, but roughly speaking you would expect to spend from 83 SDG to 11,000 SDG on commuting with 1,100 SDG being the norm for most people in one month. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 6% of total spending on average but can go as low as 3% or as high as 10%.

The average outlay on groceries in a month in Sudan is 2,700 SDG. The cost of groceries can range between 210 SDG to 27,000 SDG. People spend on average about 29% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 21% and 35% respectively.

People in Sudan allocate 6% to 14% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending is around 11%. The range of medical expenses range from 58 SDG to 7,600 SDG with 760 SDG being the norm.

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 33 SDG to 4,300 SDG with 430 SDG being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 8% of total expenses with an average of 4% for most residents.

Spending on education can vary drastically between different people. While working singles can spend 0% on education, families and students' expenditure can reach up to 22%. On average, education constitutes 5% of the monthly expenditure with 3% and 11% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 650 SDG per month with 50 SDG being the minimum spent amount and 6,500 SDG being the maximum.

How much money can you save in Sudan every month?

We asked thousands of people what percentage of their income can they save in a month. Below are the answers.

What percentage of people in Sudan manage to save money from their income every month?

Almost 52% of the surveyed people in Sudan said that they can save some money at the end of each month while 48% said that aren't saving anything.

Percentage of people saving money by population group in Sudan

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

For most people, 7% to 27% of their monthly income is what they can allocate to their savings, with 13% being the average. The amount of money that people can save is approximately 3,000 SDG on average with savings ranging from 230 SDG to 30,000 SDG.

55% of surveyed singles reported some of their income going to savings while 50% of couples said the same. 45% of families confirmed their ability to save money.

How much money do people actually save in Sudan?

Singles

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

Savings to income distribution levels for singles

Interpretation and Analysis

Singles who can afford to save reported that they allocate from 10% to 29% of their monthly income to savings, with 17% being the average for most singles. The average amount of money that singles are able to save is 2,100 SDG with 690 SDG and 14,000 SDG being the minimum and maximum respectively.

Couples

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

Savings to income distribution levels for couples

Interpretation and Analysis

Couples who confirmed their ability to save reported saving equivalent to 8% to 28% of their monthly income, with 15% being the average for most couples. The average amount of money that couples can save is 3,500 SDG with 1,200 SDG and 18,000 SDG being the minimum and maximum respectively.

Families

Saving to Income Ratio

Average Monthly Saved Amount

Savings to income distribution levels for families

Interpretation and Analysis

Families in Sudan can save anywhere between 7% to 26% of their monthly income, with 13% being the average for most families. The average amount of money that families can put aside is 4,600 SDG with 1,600 SDG and 25,000 SDG being the minimum and maximum respectively.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Sudan

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked residents one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Sudan?

Around 42% of surveyed residents think that living in Sudan is affordable with proper budgeting while 58% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Sudan

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked residents how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options53%

Few low-cost options47%

Based on the survey, 53% of the people living in Sudan have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 47% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked residents of Sudan whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes41%

No59%

Based on the survey, 59% of the people living in Sudan said that they don't have an emergency fund while 41% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in Sudan

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy37%

We asked residents of Sudan whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 63% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 37% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether residents of Sudan have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so asked the people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 57% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 43% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance57%

Easily manages finances43%

Financial goals of people in Sudan

In an attempt to understand the economic situation in Sudan, we asked participants about their financial targets. By knowing what the population in general is trying to achieve, we can shed light on the economic outlook, cost of living, and quality of life in general.

Around 9% of those who participated in the survey said that their main goal is to establish an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses while 46% said their number one priority is to pay off high-interest debt or loans and improve credit. 11% of surveyed people confirmed that saving for retirement to ensure a comfortable lifestyle in the final years is their main target. Around 6% reported that their priority is saving for the tuition fees and education costs of their children while 19% choose to buy a home or pay off existing mortgage before other things. 6% of the population would like to build wealth through investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate. For 5% of people, saving for vacations or upgrading their lifestyle is the number one concern. Approximately 15% of the residents said that saving for healthcare expenses including insurance premiums is their main goal.

Saving Challenges in Sudan

Reasons that make it difficult for people to save money

We wanted to understand what is stopping people from maximizing their savings in Sudan. Listed below are the answers given by the survey participants.

Around 4% of the people said that their salary is too low to accommodate a portion for savings while 7% said that the high cost of living leaves little room for savings. 12% of the residents said that they are burdened with debt and find it challenging to save money. 12% reported that they just don't have the knowledge or discipline to create and stick to a budget, leading to overspending and an inability to save. 12% blamed impulsive spending as the reason for saving inability. Around 7% said that unexpected expenses like medical bills or car repairs are derailing their savings goals. 5% bluntly said that they don't see the purpose of it and prefer to live each day to the fullest. 22% reported that they understand the value of saving but are putting off saving for the future, thinking they have plenty of time to start later. 14% blamed inflation, saying that every time they save some money they end up using it immediately. A surprising 2% said that social pressure and keeping up with peers or societal expectations makes them overspend. Lastly, 2% blamed market instability and price fluctuations.

Typical saving choices for people in Sudan

Where do people choose to put their savings?

Retirement, pension plans, and life after work in Sudan

What does the retirement lifestyle look like in Sudan and how much retirement savings are required?

Retirement age

The retirement age for most employees in Sudan is 65 years. Specific retirement ages can vary based on factors like occupation, gender, years of contribution, and location. It is not entirely unlikely for people to retire either before or after this age.

Retirement planning and savings

There are many retirement saving options, some are personally initiated and others are government-sponsered. Regardless of the source of savings, the minimum amount of money that needs to be put aside to ensure a peaceful and comfortable retirement at each age can be found in the table below. This data is largely approximated and can vary drastically based on individual needs and situations. Treat these figures as a general guideline.

Retirement Income Distribution

We asked residents of Sudan about their retirement income sources and below are the results.

Retirement Monthly Expenses in Sudan

Debt, loans, and mortgages in Sudan

Percentage of people who are in debt

According to the survey, 31% of the people in Sudan have some kind of debt, loan, mortgage, or credit card payments while 69% reported that they don't have financial obligations to banks.

Debt-to-income ratio in Sudan

Interpretation

The debt-to-income ratio measures the percentage of income being paid as debt settlement across the population. It is calculated by dividing the monthly debt settlement payment of an individual by their monthly income. Based on collected data, approximately 33% of the people's monthly income in Sudan goes to debt settlement.

Debt levels

Monthly debt settlement payment as percentage of monthly income

According to our data, 4% of the debtors in Sudan pay 60%+ of their income as debt settlement while 20% of the people pay 50% to 60% of their income for the same, which is quite an alarming financial situation for those individuals. 16% of people in debt dedicate 40% to 50% of their income to loan and mortgage payments while 18% dedicated 30% to 40% of income for same. Things are looking brighter for 9% of individuals as they only pay 20% to 30% of their income for loan and credit card repayment.

Distribution by type of debt in Sudan

7% of debtors in Sudan confirm that real estate mortgages constitutes the main part of their outstanding debt while 31% say that credit card payments are the reason they are in debt. Auto loans were the main type of debt for 12% of people and personal loans rose at 45%. Lastly, student loans are the main source of debt for 4% of debtors in Sudan.

Good debt vs. Bad debt

Not all debt is bad. Good debt typically refers to borrowing money for investments that can increase in value or generate income over time like purchasing a home or acquiring student loans. On the other hand, bad debt involves borrowing for things that fail to generate lasting value like high-interest credit card debt used for non-essential expenses like luxury items or vacations.

Loan Affordability Index in Sudan

Besides measuring the loan-to-income ratio, we asked residents of Sudan how many times in a year they defaulted or were unable to pay their due credit card or loan payments on time. Understanding how often people default on their due payments is one of the indicators of the cost of living and economic situation.

Frequency and percentage of people who failed to pay their monthly credit card or loan payments on time last year.

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Sudan

Rent Cost in Sudan

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment

880 SDG

1,300 SDG

3,500 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.5

$2.2

$5.9

1-bedroom apartment

1,300 SDG

2,100 SDG

5,300 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.2

$3.5

$8.8

2-bedroom apartment

1,800 SDG

2,700 SDG

7,100 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.9

$4.4

$12

3-bedroom apartment

2,100 SDG

3,500 SDG

9,700 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.5

$5.9

$16

Furnished apartment

4,200 SDG

11,000 SDG

21,000 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$7.1

$18

$35

Townhouse

3,500 SDG

5,300 SDG

15,000 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$5.9

$8.8

$25

House

4,200 SDG

11,000 SDG

21,000 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$7.1

$18

$35

Villa

5,300 SDG

13,000 SDG

21,000 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$8.8

$22

$35

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Sudan ranges between 880 SDG and 3,500 SDG, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 1,300 SDG to 5,300 SDG. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 1,800 SDG and 7,100 SDG per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 2,100 SDG to 9,700 SDG. The average rent of a townhouse in Sudan is around 5,300 SDG while house rental costs can be as high as 11,000 SDG per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 5,300 SDG to 21,000 SDG per month.

Apartment and house prices in Sudan

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment

180,000 SDG

270,000 SDG

530,000 SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$290

$440

$880

1-bedroom apartment

210,000 SDG

350,000 SDG

1.3M SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$350

$590

$2,200

2-bedroom apartment

350,000 SDG

1.1M SDG

2.1M SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$590

$1,800

$3,500

3-bedroom apartment

1.2M SDG

1.8M SDG

5.3M SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2,000

$2,900

$8,800

Townhouse

1.5M SDG

3.5M SDG

13M SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2,500

$5,900

$22,000

House

1.8M SDG

11M SDG

15M SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2,900

$18,000

$25,000

Villa

2.1M SDG

12M SDG

18M SDG

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3,500

$20,000

$29,000

The average price of a studio apartment in Sudan can range from 180,000 SDG to 530,000 SDG depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 210,000 SDG to 1.3M SDG. A villa can cost you 12M SDG on average with prices ranging from 2.1M SDG to 18M SDG.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Sudan can be x74 to x184 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x74 multiples of the average monthly salary in Sudan.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Sudan is around 27%. This means that people pay 27% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 17% to 37% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

SingleSpending habits, consumption analysis, and expenditure patterns for a single person living in Sudan

CoupleAverage monthly living expenditure breaks and spending patterns for couples in Sudan

FamilyAverage monthly expenses and break out of spending for families living in Sudan

StudentCost of living and expenses break down for students living in Sudan