Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,203 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in South Africa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,203 in South Africa, rent included.

Australia $2,626
South Africa $1,203

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $1,893 in South Africa, rent included.

Australia $3,810
South Africa $1,893

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $2,583 in South Africa, rent included.

Australia $4,994
South Africa $2,583

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in South Africa ($618–$1,556), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 118% higher than in South Africa on average.

Australia sits 93% above the global median, while South Africa is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.09

$10.67 R 177

65.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$41.66 R 693

104.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.77

$5.80 R 96.5

91.21%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$2.36 R 39.23

65.25%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.12 R 18.56

154.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$0.90 R 15.00

156.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

$2.42 R 40.20

211.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.21

$3.06 R 50.9

180.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.18 R 19.58

49.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.13 R 18.83

148.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$1.74 R 28.90

28.74%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$2.57 R 42.80

95.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.03

$8.43 R 140

17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.25

$5.12 R 85.1

82.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.13

$7.59 R 126

95.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.43

$1.77 R 29.52

115.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$1.74 R 28.90

67.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$1.77 R 29.43

76.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.84

$1.76 R 29.26

173.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$1.49 R 24.81

87.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$1.47 R 24.38

61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$1.23 R 20.52

92.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.10 R 18.25

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.6

$3.24 R 54.0

1107.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.80

$5.00 R 83.2

178.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$1.50 R 24.90

230.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$1.94 R 32.26

166.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.48 R 24.58

63.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$135

$59.3 R 986

59.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$1.09 R 18.21

220.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$0.99 R 16.46

61.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.7

$7.46 R 124

434.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.43 R 23.76

-2.80%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$35.3K R 587.4K

-15.01%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$32.4K R 539.7K

-20.60%

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

$205 A$292

$133 R 2,208

54.47%

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

$28.33 A$40.29

$34.83 R 580

-18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.6

$39.76 R 662

47.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$33.09 R 551

68.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.83

$11.65 R 194

67.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.87

$7.18 R 119

114.21%

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

$2,145 A$3,050

$224 R 3,728

857.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$5,462 R 90.9K

235.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$54.2 R 902

44.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$34.13 R 568

64.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$102 R 1,699

12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$88.5 R 1,472

39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,262

$492 R 8,189

223.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,838

$398 R 6,617

225.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,590

$946 R 15.7K

166.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,851

$827 R 13.8K

142.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$1,099 R 18.3K

696.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,901

$769 R 12.8K

714.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,665

$1,502 R 25.0K

165.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.23

-47.20%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 69.2% $895

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 47.6% $178

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 47% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 29% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 25.2% $42

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 38.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

South Africa

$47 4% 45.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $422 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $450 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $1,488 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 228% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 115% more in Australia.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 2.6 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

9 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia South Africa 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
South Africa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 54% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $422 in South Africa.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in South Africa, adding to the overall 118% price gap.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.