How expensive is South Africa? We conducted a review of the cost of living vs salary for major citities in South Africa.
If you are an expert working in South Africa, thinking about relocating to any of the major South African cities for work, then you want to know what the cost of living is in your dream city, and if your current salary can cover this cost?
We know how important knowing the cost of living before moving to a city for work is to you as a professional, so we have done you one better by taking time to research the cost of living and salary is in 37 South African cities, and got you the average price you’ll need to budget for certain essential items you will be needing during your stay there.
From our findings, you will get the average cost of what you might pay for rent, transportation, groceries, clothing, outings, and miscellaneous.
Before we give you the break down, a few things you should keep in mind are:
The general cost of living in South Africa is lower than the cost of living in most of the cities.
Salaries in most cities are higher than the general salary of South Africa.
Sandton, Bellville, and Cape Town have the highest cost of living.
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Average Monthly Salary: R17,000
Average Yearly Salary: R204,000
Cost Of Living: R42,244
Extra: You may find this article also interesting to read: 15 Highest Paying Jobs in South Africa 2020
Below is the list of the most expensive city in South Africa based on the cost of living
For the cost of living in South Africa, the areas we focused on are house rent, transportation, groceries, clothing, outings and self-care.
Cost Of Rent In South Africa
From our pricing research, we found that a 1 bedroom apartment in South Africa, within the city costs R6,500, whereas a 1 bedroom apartment outside the city costs 5,700.
A 3 bedroom apartment within the city costs 13,000 and the same apartment costs 11,000
Cost Of Transportation In South Africa
Unless you are planning to buy a Volkswagen Gulf which costs R300,000 or a Toyota Corolla for 292,000, you should be able to cover transportation costs in SA.
As an SA expert, R728 should cover a one-ticket for R20, a monthly pass for R600 and a total taxi costs of R920 with the normal tariff.
Cost Of Groceries In South Africa
Your grocery list should rack up R649 which covers food items like fruits, meat, vegetables, milk, cheese, eggs, bread, and even beer if that’s what you like. Note that beef and local cheese can increase your grocery budget.
Cost Of Clothing In South Africa
Shopping with the sum of R3,551 should get you a pair of Levi 501 jeans which go for R754 and a pair of Nike shoes for 1,200 and a leather shoe for 1,100 and it also covers the cost of a Zara summer dress.
Cost Of Outings In South Africa
Since you will be working so hard, relaxation is something you need to engage in, in order to properly unwind in SA. You need to breathe and enjoy the exquisite restaurants and fine dining that SA has to offer.
So, how much will a night out at a restaurant cost you? R832 covers a meal at an affordable restaurant and a three-course meal for you and your friend or a partner.
This amount can also get you your cappucino fix for R27, and espresso for R19, and a delicious cheese burger for R18. R832 will get a good night’s outing in SA.
Cost Of Self-Care In South Africa
Pampering yourself with a little self-care as an expert in South Africa, will cost you about R933. This can cover the cost of some essentials like cold medicine, antibiotics for R202, a box of tampon R46, deodorant for R30, tissue paper for R25, etc.
Below is the cost of living vs salary in 37 popular cities in South Africa and comparison between these cities and Lagos, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, and New York City.
1. Cape Town
Salary - R216,000/year
Cost of living - R63,788.46
Cost Of Living Comparison For Cape Town
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
2. Paarl
Salary - R178,000/ per year
Cost Of Living - R60,277
Cost Of Living Comparison For Paarl
17% cheaper than in Lagos
62% cheaper than in Hong Kong
56% cheaper than in Tokyo
56% cheaper than in Singapore
67% cheaper than in New York City
3. Bellville
Salary - R205,000
Cost Of Living -R53,061.51
Cost Of Living Comparison For Bellville
12.20% cheaper than in Lagos
64.7% cheaper than in Hong Kong
57.19% cheaper than in Tokyo
61.08% cheaper than in Singapore
72.36% cheaper than in New York City
4. Johannesburg
Salary- R257,000/year
Cost Of Living -R44,510
Cost Of Living Comparison For Johannesburg
16% cheaper than in Lagos
62% cheaper than in Hong Kong
55% cheaper than in Tokyo
55% cheaper than in Singapore
67% cheaper than in New York City
Extra: Check out the list of recruitment companies in Johannesburg
5. George
Salary- R140,000/year
Cost Of Living- R38,272.97
Cost Of Living Comparison For George
30% cheaper than in Lagos
68% cheaper than in Hong Kong
62% cheaper than in Tokyo
62% cheaper than in Singapore
72% cheaper than in New York City
6. Carletonville
Salary -R276,000
Cost Of Living- R35,941
Cost Of Living Comparison For Carletonville
The same cost of living with Lagos
57% cheaper than in Hong Kong
45% cheaper than in Tokyo
49% cheaper than in Singapore
59% cheaper than in New York City
7. East London
Salary -R182,000/year
Cost Of Living -R35,039.5
Cost Of Living Comparison For East London
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
8. Durban
Salary- R195,000/year
Cost Of Living - R33,895.32
Extra: Check out latest job in Durban today.
Cost Of Living Comparison For Durban
18% cheaper than in Lagos
63% cheaper than in Hong Kong
56% cheaper than in Tokyo
56% cheaper than in Singapore
68% cheaper than in New York City
9. Krugersdorp
Salary-R159,000/year
Cost Of Living -R33,612
Cost Of Living Comparison For Krugersdorp
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
10. Nelspruit
Salary-R252,000/year
Cost Of Living- R32,445.46
Cost Of Living Comparison For Nelspruit
26% cheaper than in Lagos
66% cheaper than in Hong Kong
60% cheaper than in Tokyo
60% cheaper than in Singapore
71% cheaper than in New York City
11. Kimberley
Salary-R179,000/year
Cost Of Living -R31,636.68
Cost Of Living Comparison For Kimberley
9% cheaper than in Lagos
59% cheaper than in Hong Kong
50% cheaper than in Tokyo
51% cheaper than in Singapore
64% cheaper than in New York City
12. Bloemfontein
Salary-R127,000/year
Cost Of Living-R28,546.22
Cost Of Living Comparison For Bloemfontein
32% cheaper than in Lagos
69% cheaper than in Hong Kong
63% cheaper than in Tokyo
63% cheaper than in Singapore
73% cheaper than in New York City
13. Boksburg
Salary- R264,000/year
Cost Of Living - R28,613.57
Cost Of Living Comparison For Boksburg
10% cheaper than in Lagos
59% cheaper than in Hong Kong
51% cheaper than in Tokyo
52% cheaper than in Singapore
64% cheaper than in New York City
14. Brakpan
Salary-R152,000/year
Cost Of Living-R27,277.193
Cost Of Living Comparison For Brakpan
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
15. Klerksdorp
Salary-R152,000
Cost Of Living-R25,138.5
Cost Of Living Comparison For Klerksdorp
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
16. Pietermaritzburg
Salary-R180,000/year
Cost Of Living-R26,541.9
Cost Of Living Comparison For Pietermaritzburg
28% cheaper than in Lagos
67% cheaper than in Hong Kong
61% cheaper than in Tokyo
61% cheaper than in Singapore
72% cheaper than in New York City
17. Polokwane
Salary-R177,000/year
Cost Of Living-R28,569.59
Cost Of Living Comparison For Polokwane
24% cheaper than in Lagos
65% cheaper than in Hong Kong
57% cheaper than in Tokyo
59% cheaper than in Singapore
69% cheaper than in New York City
18. Potchefstroom
Salary-R175,000/year
Cost Of Living-R27,653.9
Cost Of Living Comparison For Potchefstroom
30% cheaper than in Lagos
68% cheaper than in Hong Kong
62% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
19. Port Elizabeth
Salary-R183,000/year
Cost Of Living-R26,794.4
Cost Of Living Comparison For Port Elizabeth
24% cheaper than in Lagos
66% cheaper than in Hong Kong
59% cheaper than in Tokyo
60% cheaper than in Singapore
70% cheaper than in New York City
20. Randburg
Salary- R147,000
Cost Of Living- R46,272.9
Cost Of Living Comparison For Randburg
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
21. Roodepoort
Salary-R187,000/year
Cost Of Living-R38,033
Cost Of Living Comparison For Roodepoort
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
22. Rustenburg
Salary - R185,000/year
Cost Of Living-R24,320.03
Cost Of Living Comparison For Rustenburg
11% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
52% cheaper than in Tokyo
52% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
23. Secunda
Salary-R249,000/year
Cost Of Living-R33,319.61
Cost Of Living Comparison For Secunda
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
24. Soweto
Salary-R118,000/year
Cost Of Living-R38,132
Cost Of Living Comparison For Soweto
19% cheaper than in Lagos
63% cheaper than in Hong Kong
55% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
67% cheaper than in New York City
25. Springs
Salary-R158,000/year
Cost Of Living-R24,986
Cost Of Living Comparison For Springs
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
56% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
26. Stellenbosch
Salary- R346,000
Cost Of Living- R38,316.71
Cost Of Living Comparison For Stellenbosch
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
27. Uitenhage
Salary-R153,000/year
Cost Of Living-R35,177
Cost Of Living Comparison For Uitenhage
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
28. Vanderbijlpark
Salary- R298,00
Cost Of Living-R41,689
Cost Of Living Comparison For Vanderbijlpark
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
29. Vereeniging
Salary-R158,000/year
Cost Of Living-R30,061.5
Cost Of Living Comparison For Vereeniging
18% cheaper than in Lagos
63% cheaper than in Hong Kong
56% cheaper than in Tokyo
56% cheaper than in Singapore
68% cheaper than in New York City
30. Welkom
Salary-R134,000/year
Cost Of Living-R23,068
Cost Of Living Comparison For Welkom
29% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
52% cheaper than in Tokyo
54% cheaper than in Singapore
63% cheaper than in New York City
31. Worcester
Salary-R138,000/year
Cost Of Living-R22,813
Cost Of Living Comparison For Worcester
45% cheaper than in Lagos
75% cheaper than in Hong Kong
69% cheaper than in Tokyo
70% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
32. Richards Bay
Salary-R193,000
Cost Of Living-R32,977
Cost Of Living Comparison For Richards Bay
25% cheaper than in Lagos
66% cheaper than in Hong Kong
59% cheaper than in Tokyo
60% cheaper than in Singapore
70% cheaper than in New York City
33. Orkney
Salary- R353,000
Cost Of Living-R36,111
Cost Of Living Comparison For Orkney
13% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
47% cheaper than in Tokyo
52% cheaper than in Singapore
60% cheaper than in New York City
34. Sandton
Salary-R289,000/year
Cost Of Living-R74,612
Cost Of Living Comparison For Sandton
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
35. Somerset West
Salary-R180,000/year
Cost Of Living-R29,623.52
Cost Of Living Comparison For Somerset West
12% cheaper than in Lagos
60% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
36. Heidelberg
Salary-R120,000/year
Cost Of Living-R29,571.25
Cost Of Living Comparison For Heidelberg
60% cheaper than in Lagos
26% cheaper than in Hong Kong
53% cheaper than in Tokyo
53% cheaper than in Singapore
65% cheaper than in New York City
37. Queenstown
Salary-R133,000
Cost Of Living-R26,916
Cost Of Living Comparison For Queenstown
Same as Lagos
56% cheaper than in Hong Kong
44% cheaper than in Tokyo
48% cheaper than in Singapore
58% cheaper than in New York City
To make sure we got the exact cost of living percentage for SA and Nigeria, we compared the two countries with the cost of living comparison tool provided by Expatisan.
This is what we found:
1.The cost of living in SA is R41,311 and the estimated cost of living in Nigeria is N813,292 when converted to rands it's approximately R36,055.80.
2. The cost of living in SA is 12% higher than the cost of living in Nigeria.
3. Food in South Africa is 9% cheaper than in Nigeria:
A combo meal in a Nigerian restaurant goes for N1,680 (R75) while it costs R61 in a South African restaurant.
A litre of milk is N749(R33) in Nigeria and R14 in South Africa.
A kg of tomatoes is N641 in Nigeria (R28) and R20 in South Africa.
4. Housing in South Africa is 1% higher than in Nigeria, which is almost the same as that of Nigeria:
Monthly rent for a furnished house in an expensive area in Nigeria goes for approximately N441,012 (R 19,609) and R 14,593 in South Africa
Monthly rent for a furnished house in an affordable area in Nigeria is approximately N261,408 (R 11,623) and R 9,319 in South Africa.
5. Clothes in South Africa is 70% more expensive than in Nigeria:
A pair of Jeans in Nigeria is N5,049 (R 224) and R 720 in South Africa
Pair of sports shoes in Nigeria is N10,731 (R 477) and R 1,299 in South Africa.
6. Transportation in South Africa is 44% more expensive than in Nigeria:
Fuel in Nigeria is N121.5 (R5) and R16 in South Africa.
7. Personal Care in South Africa is 22% more expensive in Nigeria, than in South Africa:
Cold medicine 6 days dosage (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) in South Africa costs R67 (N1,518) but costs N748 in Nigeria.
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 R 55 (₦1,234) ₦930 in Nigeria.
4 rolls of toilet paper R 25 (₦575) ₦311 in Nigeria.
Tube of toothpaste R 19 (433 ₦) ₦396 in Nigeria.
8. Outing in South Africa is 13% more expensive than in Nigeria:
Dinner for two costs about N 4,367 (R 194) and R 342 in South Africa.
2 tickets to the movies cost R3,852 (R 171) and R 174 in South Africa.
A beer costs N366 (R 16 ) in Nigeria and R32 in South Africa.
Cost Of Living Calculation South Africa VS Nigeria:
Food: -9%
Housing: -1%
Clothes:70%
Transportation: +44%
Personal Care: 22%
Total - 12%
Note: This calculation was given by the cost of living calculator tool Expatisan.
Conclusion:
To summarize, here are a few takeaways from this article to keep in mind, should you move.
The cost of living in South Africa, can be rounded up to an estimated price of R42,244. The poverty rate in South Africa is 55.5% that is 30,383,788 (thirty million three hundred eighty-three thousand, seven hundred eighty-eight) South Africans living in poverty.
Sandton has the highest cost of living, raking in R74,612 as it’s total cost of living. The average annual salary an expert can earn in Sandton is R289,000. This city has a high cost of living, and an equally high salary to help you live comfortably, while working there.
Note:
Before you move to any of these cities for a job, you should keep in mind that these cost of living were gathered from estimated prices, and can increase or reduce due to a number of unforeseen factors. This is just to show you what you should expect while moving.
FAQ
1: Is South Africa expensive to live in?
The average cost of living in South Africa will depend largely on where you live. The top most expensive cities in South Africa include: Sandton, Cape Town, Paarl
2: What is the average income in South Africa?
The average salary in South Africa is Average Monthly Salary: R17,000
3: How much money do you need to survive in South Africa?
The average cost of living: R42,244
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