Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in South Africa: $1,209 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,209

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,209 per month in South Africa vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

South Africa $1,209
Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in South Africa vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

South Africa $1,900
Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $2,590 per month in South Africa vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

South Africa $2,590
Australia $4,893

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,646–$3,152) than in South Africa ($625–$1,586), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Africa is roughly 52% lower than in Australia on average.

South Africa sits 10% below the global median, while Australia is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.95 R 180

$17.16 A$24.69

-36.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.96 R 708

$83.9 A$121

-48.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 94.9

$11.20 A$16.12

-48.57%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R 39.20

$3.92 A$5.64

-39.29%

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

$1.16 R 19.15

$2.83 A$4.07

-59.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.33

$2.30 A$3.31

-62.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R 40.21

$7.68 A$11.06

-68.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R 49.14

$8.25 A$11.87

-63.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.38

$1.76 A$2.53

-32.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 18.30

$2.77 A$3.99

-59.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.71

$2.19 A$3.16

-20.55%

Eggs

$2.49 R 40.95

$4.99 A$7.18

-50.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 140

$9.94 A$14.31

-14.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 R 85.0

$9.03 A$12.99

-42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 R 124

$15.25 A$21.94

-50.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.00

$3.67 A$5.28

-48.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.71

$3.05 A$4.39

-44.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.39

$3.12 A$4.50

-42.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.21

$4.56 A$6.56

-59.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.51

$2.81 A$4.04

-46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.77

$2.39 A$3.44

-37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.99

$2.35 A$3.39

-45.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.09

$1.64 A$2.36

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.9

$38.42 A$55.3

-91.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.9

$13.77 A$19.82

-63.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.10

$4.69 A$6.75

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.16

$5.08 A$7.31

-61.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 R 26.08

$2.72 A$3.91

-41.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 R 1,011

$95.8 A$138

-35.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.34

$3.54 A$5.10

-68.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.64

$1.55 A$2.23

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 123

$40.00 A$57.6

-81.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.98

$1.30 A$1.87

12.31%

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

$35.4K R 583.7K

$28.2K A$40.5K

25.77%

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

$30.9K R 509.0K

$28.5K A$40.9K

8.57%

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

$134 R 2,201

$198 A$285

-32.63%

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

$34.44 R 567

$28.75 A$41.37

19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 R 665

$58.6 A$84.4

-31.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 R 562

$56.7 A$81.6

-39.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 R 191

$19.08 A$27.46

-39.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 R 118

$15.02 A$21.62

-52.26%

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

$227 R 3,746

$2,154 A$3,099

-89.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,487 R 90.4K

$17.9K A$25.8K

-69.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 R 885

$78.0 A$112

-31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 R 554

$54.8 A$78.8

-38.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 R 1,645

$112 A$161

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 R 1,440

$124 A$179

-29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 R 7,943

$1,540 A$2,215

-68.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,568

$1,222 A$1,758

-67.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 R 15.4K

$2,478 A$3,566

-62.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 R 13.5K

$1,930 A$2,778

-57.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,096 R 18.1K

$8,153 A$11.7K

-86.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$785 R 12.9K

$6,053 A$8,711

-87.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,515 R 25.0K

$3,944 A$5,676

-61.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

5.93

89.38%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$399 33%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 207% $823

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$208 17.2%

Australia

$286 11.2% 37.1% $77

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$197 16.3%

Australia

$370 14.6% 88.2% $173

Eating Out

South Africa

$160 13.2%

Australia

$293 11.5% 83.6% $134

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$124 10.2%

Australia

$166 6.5% 34.4% $43

Getting Around

South Africa

$74 6.1%

Australia

$118 4.6% 60.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$48 4%

Australia

$87 3.4% 79.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $421 in South Africa vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,021 in Cape Town and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,487 in South Africa vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 224% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 116% more in Australia.

Public transport is 341% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 159% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

9 h ahead of South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

26,473,055

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

South Africa
Australia

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

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

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 110% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $421 in South Africa.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in South Africa, adding to the overall 110% 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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.