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 $2,182 per month in Australia vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Australia costs about 114% more than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,579–$2,759) than South Africa ($819–$1,339), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$9.05 R 147

78.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$39.48 R 642

99.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$4.94 R 80.3

91.90%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$2.06 R 33.47

72.82%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$0.95 R 15.40

173.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$0.81 R 13.13

172.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$2.21 R 35.90

192.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$2.48 R 40.33

189.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.11 R 18.07

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$1.02 R 16.64

148.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$1.56 R 25.28

29.49%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$2.34 R 38.05

91.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$7.73 R 126

14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$4.49 R 73.1

86.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$6.73 R 109

103.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$1.56 R 25.40

107.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.43 R 23.22

98.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$1.44 R 23.48

106.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$1.51 R 24.55

190.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$1.22 R 19.81

100.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$1.28 R 20.74

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$1.04 R 16.89

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.94 R 15.21

68.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$2.99 R 48.55

923.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$5.16 R 83.8

175.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$1.39 R 22.55

227.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$1.66 R 26.93

195.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$1.63 R 26.48

77.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$45.05 R 732

116.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$1.13 R 18.41

213.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.10 R 17.93

59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$4.86 R 78.9

683.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$1.24 R 20.15

-6.45%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$20.3K R 330.2K

41.76%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$23.5K R 381.4K

-1.17%

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

$179 A$249

$113 R 1,843

57.63%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$32.36 R 526

-17.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$41.45 R 674

29.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$31.59 R 513

53.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$9.61 R 156

75.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$6.83 R 111

99.27%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$187 R 3,039

758.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$4,362 R 70.9K

191.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$49.50 R 804

44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$30.42 R 494

64.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$91.7 R 1,489

8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$78.9 R 1,281

38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$442 R 7,175

213.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$367 R 5,963

193.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$884 R 14.4K

158.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$723 R 11.8K

142.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$1,090 R 17.7K

584.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$780 R 12.7K

620.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$1,558 R 25.3K

161.32%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $1,520 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 157% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 101% 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 101% 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.