Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,185 per month in Australia vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 114% higher than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,575–$2,824) than in South Africa ($803–$1,362), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.11

$9.14 R 151

77.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$39.14 R 646

97.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.52

$5.19 R 85.6

82.47%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.94

$1.98 R 32.63

74.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 A$3.83

$1.00 R 16.52

168.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.12

$0.79 R 12.97

177.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.44

$2.21 R 36.50

199.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.14

$2.57 R 42.45

176.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.12 R 18.50

38.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.53

$0.97 R 15.96

154.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.54 R 25.47

36.36%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.06

$2.25 R 37.10

88.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.24

$7.86 R 130

9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.28

$4.58 R 75.6

87.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.73

$6.68 R 110

106.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$1.57 R 25.98

101.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.88

$1.47 R 24.27

85.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$1.52 R 25.10

94.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.15

$1.51 R 24.91

185.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.52

$1.26 R 20.79

96.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$1.27 R 21.04

65.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.09 R 17.93

100.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$0.97 R 16.00

57.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.69

$2.84 R 46.81

1001.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.91

$5.20 R 85.9

168.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.37

$1.38 R 22.84

223.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.16

$1.72 R 28.36

191.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.29

$1.72 R 28.42

74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$44.22 R 730

117.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

$1.15 R 19.01

209.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$1.07 R 17.59

63.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.1

$4.74 R 78.2

699.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.28 R 21.18

-10.16%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.4K A$41.9K

$20.4K R 336.1K

44.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.1K A$33.0K

$24.0K R 395.8K

-3.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$174 A$248

$113 R 1,864

53.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.88 A$38.39

$32.35 R 534

-16.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.3

$41.46 R 684

27.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.1

$31.04 R 512

53.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.57

$9.72 R 160

69.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.61

$6.67 R 110

105.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,555 A$2,220

$186 R 3,063

737.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$4,399 R 72.6K

187.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.4

$50.2 R 828

38.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.2

$30.37 R 501

68.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$93.4 R 1,541

8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$160

$80.4 R 1,327

39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,941

$439 R 7,239

209.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,542

$372 R 6,136

190.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,285

$903 R 14.9K

154.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,501

$705 R 11.6K

148.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$1,116 R 18.4K

582.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,228

$793 R 13.1K

626.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,745

$1,506 R 24.9K

167.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

11.55

-45.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $1,513 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 235% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 120% more in Australia.

Public transport is 319% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 150% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 103% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Africa, contributing to the overall 103% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Africa is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.