Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,579 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 132% higher than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 77% 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 United Kingdom ($1,670–$3,916) than in South Africa ($803–$1,362), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.06

$9.14 R 151

121.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$39.14 R 646

125.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.71

$5.19 R 85.6

99.42%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$1.98 R 32.63

140.91%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$1.00 R 16.52

144.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.79 R 12.97

118.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$2.21 R 36.50

209.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$2.57 R 42.45

153.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.12 R 18.50

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.97 R 15.96

76.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.54 R 25.47

43.51%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.05

$2.25 R 37.10

81.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.09

$7.86 R 130

21.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.72

$4.58 R 75.6

96.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.55

$6.68 R 110

112.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$1.57 R 25.98

88.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.47 R 24.27

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$1.52 R 25.10

86.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$1.51 R 24.91

125.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.26 R 20.79

34.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.27 R 21.04

24.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$1.09 R 17.93

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.97 R 16.00

57.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.01

$2.84 R 46.81

609.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.80

$5.20 R 85.9

101.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.38 R 22.84

107.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$1.72 R 28.36

91.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$1.72 R 28.42

93.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.7

$44.22 R 730

117.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.12

$1.15 R 19.01

380.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.07 R 17.59

49.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.48

$4.74 R 78.2

480.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.28 R 21.18

48.44%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$20.4K R 336.1K

87.00%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$24.0K R 395.8K

70.91%

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

$326 £243

$113 R 1,864

188.73%

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

$17.18 £12.79

$32.35 R 534

-46.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.99

$41.46 R 684

3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.20

$31.04 R 512

48.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.82

$9.72 R 160

63.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.27

$6.67 R 110

106.90%

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

$1,723 £1,283

$186 R 3,063

828.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$4,399 R 72.6K

374.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$50.2 R 828

80.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.05

$30.37 R 501

46.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.8

$93.4 R 1,541

10.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.4

$80.4 R 1,327

27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,056

$439 R 7,239

223.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £851

$372 R 6,136

207.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,711

$903 R 14.9K

154.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,394

$705 R 11.6K

165.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,264

$1,116 R 18.4K

413.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,231

$793 R 13.1K

447.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,430

$1,506 R 24.9K

116.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.55

-50.22%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,937 in London and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom 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 244% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 140% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 475% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 111% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

United Kingdom vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 158% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Africa, contributing to the overall 158% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in United Kingdom 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.