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 $2,547 per month in Australia vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Australia vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Australia vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 123% higher than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while South Africa is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,218–$3,352) than in South Africa ($647–$1,815), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$24.73

$11.30 R 182

56.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 A$121

$44.51 R 717

95.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.82

$5.90 R 95.0

92.37%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.57

$2.44 R 39.22

63.52%

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

$2.97 A$4.14

$1.16 R 18.64

156.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.50

$0.96 R 15.39

161.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.80

$2.56 R 41.29

202.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 A$11.25

$3.08 R 49.60

162.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.46

$1.28 R 20.57

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.00

$1.13 R 18.15

153.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.31

$1.83 R 29.55

29.51%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.13

$2.55 R 41.12

100.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.13

$8.35 R 134

21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.35

$5.44 R 87.6

75.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 A$21.74

$7.88 R 127

97.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.34

$1.90 R 30.61

101.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$1.70 R 27.36

84.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.67

$1.81 R 29.14

85.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.80

$1.88 R 30.23

159.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.07

$1.54 R 24.76

89.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.29

$1.49 R 24.03

58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.43

$1.33 R 21.45

84.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.38

$1.19 R 19.09

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.46 A$55.0

$3.41 R 55.0

1057.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 A$20.48

$5.08 R 81.7

189.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.07

$1.51 R 24.28

235.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.48

$2.03 R 32.64

164.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.76 R 28.39

61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 A$136

$63.1 R 1,016

54.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.96

$1.12 R 17.97

217.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.34

$1.01 R 16.33

66.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.94 A$57.1

$8.07 R 130

407.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.88

$1.46 R 23.53

-7.53%

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

$29.1K A$40.5K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-21.05%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$32.5K R 523.6K

-9.33%

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

$207 A$289

$136 R 2,185

52.93%

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

$29.34 A$40.91

$35.72 R 575

-17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 A$83.7

$41.40 R 667

44.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$82.6

$34.96 R 563

69.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.27

$12.46 R 201

62.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.36

$7.62 R 123

110.50%

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

$2,194 A$3,059

$231 R 3,725

848.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.0K

$5,726 R 92.2K

225.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 A$113

$56.4 R 908

43.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 A$79.3

$33.91 R 546

67.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$165

$102 R 1,639

16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$176

$93.0 R 1,497

35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,282

$506 R 8,154

223.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,821

$418 R 6,727

212.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 A$3,609

$979 R 15.8K

164.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 A$2,737

$838 R 13.5K

134.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,394 A$11.7K

$1,151 R 18.5K

629.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,140 A$8,560

$800 R 12.9K

667.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,670

$1,554 R 25.0K

161.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.24

-47.24%

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

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,426 in Australia vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,845 in Canberra and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $3,945 in Australia vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 220% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 113% more in Australia.

Public transport is 371% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 154% 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 86% 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 86% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 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.