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 $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,585 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 132% more than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 76% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,678–$3,892) than South Africa ($819–$1,339), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.17

$9.05 R 147

125.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.7

$39.48 R 642

120.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.53

$4.94 R 80.3

105.06%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$2.06 R 33.47

128.16%

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

$2.36 £1.75

$0.95 R 15.40

148.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$0.81 R 13.13

117.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.95

$2.21 R 35.90

201.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.78

$2.48 R 40.33

159.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.11 R 18.07

53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.02 R 16.64

59.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$1.56 R 25.28

46.79%

Eggs

$4.03 £2.99

$2.34 R 38.05

72.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.26

$7.73 R 126

26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.63

$4.49 R 73.1

98.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.64

$6.73 R 109

112.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$1.56 R 25.40

95.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.43 R 23.22

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$1.44 R 23.48

97.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$1.51 R 24.55

133.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.22 R 19.81

31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.28 R 20.74

22.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.04 R 16.89

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.94 R 15.21

65.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.89

$2.99 R 48.55

569.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.10

$5.16 R 83.8

111.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$1.39 R 22.55

108.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.51

$1.66 R 26.93

103.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.35

$1.63 R 26.48

94.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £70.8

$45.05 R 732

111.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.05

$1.13 R 18.41

382.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.10 R 17.93

44.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.30

$4.86 R 78.9

461.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.24 R 20.15

60.48%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$20.3K R 330.2K

85.85%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$23.5K R 381.4K

71.14%

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

$323 £240

$113 R 1,843

184.37%

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

$17.22 £12.80

$32.36 R 526

-46.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.39

$41.45 R 674

1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.21

$31.59 R 513

45.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.65

$9.61 R 156

63.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.02

$6.83 R 111

97.36%

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

$1,713 £1,274

$187 R 3,039

816.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$4,362 R 70.9K

377.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.8

$49.50 R 804

84.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.36

$30.42 R 494

47.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$91.7 R 1,489

11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.3

$78.9 R 1,281

31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,053

$442 R 7,175

220.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £841

$367 R 5,963

208.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,715

$884 R 14.4K

161.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,367

$723 R 11.8K

154.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,257

$1,090 R 17.7K

425.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,362

$780 R 12.7K

480.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,477

$1,558 R 25.3K

113.99%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,019 in London and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $3,219 in United Kingdom 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 244% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 140% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 481% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 112% higher in United Kingdom, giving South Africa 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

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.