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 $2,401 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,137 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,517 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,773 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,632 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,408 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 111% higher than in 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 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,129–$4,094) than in South Africa ($633–$1,817), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.78 £16.28

$11.22 R 184

94.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.8

$42.86 R 702

102.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.22

$5.77 R 94.4

90.64%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.58

$2.41 R 39.51

98.76%

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

$2.60 £1.94

$1.19 R 19.55

118.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$0.87 R 14.32

110.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 £4.93

$2.40 R 39.34

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 £5.10

$2.99 R 49.02

128.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.25 R 20.47

38.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.10 R 17.96

57.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 £1.69

$1.77 R 28.93

27.68%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.08

$2.51 R 41.12

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.11

$8.46 R 139

12.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.04

$5.41 R 88.6

74.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.08

$7.94 R 130

86.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.32

$1.82 R 29.76

70.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.69 R 27.60

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.15

$1.73 R 28.34

66.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.51

$1.77 R 28.99

89.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.47 R 24.07

25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.46 R 23.99

7.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.25 R 20.55

0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.16 R 18.95

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 £17.75

$3.31 R 54.3

617.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.18

$4.88 R 79.9

124.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 £2.21

$1.53 R 25.02

92.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.58

$2.05 R 33.53

68.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.50

$1.69 R 27.62

97.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.9

$62.8 R 1,028

68.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 £4.06

$1.08 R 17.64

403.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 £1.71

$0.94 R 15.46

143.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.80 £20.03

$7.90 R 129

239.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.47

$1.43 R 23.38

37.06%

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

$39.2K £29.3K

$36.6K R 599.6K

7.02%

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

$40.9K £30.6K

$31.1K R 509.6K

31.44%

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

$328 £245

$131 R 2,147

150.12%

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

$18.19 £13.60

$35.38 R 579

-48.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £32.14

$41.24 R 676

4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.44 £34.70

$34.46 R 564

34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 £13.56

$11.85 R 194

53.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 £10.17

$7.58 R 124

79.55%

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

$1,773 £1,325

$231 R 3,791

665.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.5K

$5,534 R 90.6K

322.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 £69.3

$55.0 R 901

68.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.67 £34.88

$33.73 R 552

38.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.9

$100 R 1,643

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £75.7

$91.5 R 1,498

10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 £1,025

$501 R 8,209

173.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 £830

$418 R 6,854

165.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 £1,648

$955 R 15.6K

130.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 £1,351

$826 R 13.5K

118.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,687 £4,250

$1,158 R 19.0K

391.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,425 £3,307

$788 R 12.9K

461.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 £2,555

$1,542 R 25.3K

121.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.24

-52.58%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,274 in United Kingdom vs $444 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,976 in London and $320 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $3,281 in United Kingdom vs $1,543 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 187% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 110% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 406% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 113% higher in United Kingdom.

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 113% 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 113% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 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.