South Africa : Cost of Living by City
How Much Does It Cost to Live in South Africa?
South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa.
It is a developing country and yet, it still has a high standard – higher even than in some European countries.
The cost of living is low, achieving a good, healthy lifestyle is easy, and provided you pay for private household security (which is relatively cheap) and keep your wits around you, it is safe
Even though South Africa has had many struggles that never seem to end, you will find many different perspectives on this country and a lot of it depends on your attitude.
Cost of Living Breakdown in South Africa
RESTAURANTS
In South Africa, for tourists, even the restaurants shouldn’t represent a huge luxury: a meal in an inexpensive one costs around 8$ and you can even eat at a mid-range restaurant for 35$ – for you and your friend!
But if you’re looking to keep your cost of living down, stick to the restaurants that locals go to.
South Africa has a well-established wine industry so be sure to try their wines.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $8.55 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $1.99 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.67 |
MARKETS
Major supermarket chains include Checkers, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar, and Woolworths Food.
Supermarkets tend to feature primarily South African and African brands, so there’s a smaller number of American and Asian foods.
Everything is very cheap though, so you should have no problem cooking at home and saving a lot of money by eating in.
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.99 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.89 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.77 |
TRANSPORTATION
Like many other developing countries, South Africa is not a good place to try the local urban mass transport systems.
The buses can be dangerous, unreliable, and badly organized.
Your better option is to rent a car, take a taxi, or take an escorted tour.
Public transport isn’t that cheap either, with a one-way ticket costing well above 1.4$.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $1.42 |
| Monthly Pass | $39.90 |
| Gasoline | $1.30 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities, for an apartment of normal size (of about 85m2), are just above 97$, including electricity, heating, cooling, and water.
Cell phone services are considerably lower than in many countries, while high-speed internet can get a bit pricey, varying along the lines of 47$ per month.
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $97.24 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $47.63 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
As expected, you will have to cash out a bit more money if you want to indulge in sports and fitness activities and pass your time this way.
However, in South Africa, these are reasonable prices, and most tourists interested in sports will be able to pay for fitness centers that cost about 33$ a month.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $33.39 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $7.85 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $5.70 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
You can go shopping in South Africa alright!
Though prices in shops are fixed, the prices in open markets or from street vendors are open to haggling.
South African malls also tend to feature primarily local boutiques and local chains, with some European, Asian, and American boutiques.
You can buy quality jeans like Levi’s for around 45.54$ and a pair of running sneakers for 83$.
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $45.54 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $29.94 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $83.86 |
RENT PER MONTH
Like in most countries, living and renting apartments, studios or houses depends on the particular city, neighborhood, and the type of living facility you’re renting.
You can expect an apartment for one or two people in the city center to cost up to 440$, while apartments for larger families can cost twice as much and more, depending on the area where you’re renting.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $433.37 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $361.46 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $820.69 |
HEALTHCARE
South Africa provides public healthcare funded through taxes and has a large private sector.
Private insurance typically costs 50 to 150 USD per month.
Out-of-pocket expenses average 400-800 USD per person per year for medications, consultations, and hospital care.
With average monthly salaries near 1,200 USD, healthcare costs can be high when relying on private services.
EDUCATION
Public primary and secondary schools charge minimal tuition or are free, though families pay for uniforms, books, and supplies, typically $100 to $400 per year.
Private schools charge $3,000 to $15,000 annually.
Public universities charge tuition around $1,500 to $4,000 per year, while private universities can cost $5,000 to $12,000 annually.
Students also pay for housing, food, transport, and textbooks.
Average monthly income is about $1,200, so private schooling and higher education costs represent a significant portion of household income.
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in South Africa?
Taking into consideration the statistics provided, it can be said that people in South Africa spend most of their money in supermarkets and markets, buying food and necessities.
They also spend a lot of money covering their rent expenses and utilities, which is normal, considering that these are things that need to be paid for.
In South Africa, people also spend a lot of money on transportation and considering the fact that cities in this country are extremely large and spacious, this is also to be expected.
Average Costs Breakdown
South Africa: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
At the moment South Africa has an extremely volatile and unpredictable economy and the amount of corruption and switches in the cabinet hasn’t helped any South African pocket.
South Africa is one of the best-developed African countries and still expanding.
This is why the salaries in South Africa are very high, especially in comparison to other countries in Africa.
The average monthly net salary is around 1,273.48$, which is really high, but there’s a huge gap between the average salary in this country and its minimum wage.
Namely, the minimum wage in South Africa is 251.3$ and that is nowhere near enough to cover all the basics.
South Africa Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: South Africa Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | MEDIUM |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | HIGH |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | HIGH |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | LOW |
| MUGGING RISK | MEDIUM |
| TERRORISM RISK | MEDIUM |
| SCAMS RISK | LOW |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | MEDIUM |
| TAP WATER RISK | LOW |
Cost of Living by City in South Africa
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Cape Town |
41.58 |
| Durban |
40.48 |
| Johannesburg |
45.51 |
| Port Elizabeth |
39.41 |
| Pretoria |
45.89 |
Wow, I thought South Africa was much harsher to live in than this. But if you earn that average salary it seems as though you can live really well. That is a massive difference in average vs minimum salary though, I wonder what jobs pay so little? Or maybe that’s just welfare.
South Africa has come a long way in the last couple of decades, I think they will eventually be an economic powerhouse! As long as they kick the corruption out, get everyone working and maintain stability they will do great. It’ll be interesting to watch the country evolve in the coming years.
I got married in Cape Town and it really is an incredible place. We also visited Johannesburg as well and we were both very impressed. South Africa seems to have a bad reputation, I’d urge those people to visit and have their minds changed. It’s a good country for the most part!
Great Experience
I thought that S Africa reputation is a little harsh compared to what people say about it. I loved in Joburg and I will visit again in two months. I think the best is yet to come.
How do the costs of private household security compare to other places you’ve lived?