Cost of Living in South Africa

Allianz Care International Health Insurance

Last updated on Nov 27, 2021

Summary: What is the cost of living in South Africa? Expats, digital nomads and retirees living in South Africa talk about the general living costs, the cost of housing and health insurance.

What is the average cost of housing in South Africa?

Live in South Africa? Answer this Question

If you are thinking about moving to South Africa, cost of living in probably a key consideration. Expats commented about the cost of housing:

"Lower, but so is the quality of the house. No, central heating and very large single pane windows to give examples," added another person living in Johannesburg.

"Haven't lived in NZ for a while but compared to UK and Ireland and US where I lived it is much cheaper (except food) - I could never have the lifestyle anywhere else that I have here," explained one expat living in Cape Town.

"Housing costs are much lower than in the U.S. I do not know the average cost," said another in Johannesburg.

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About the Author

Betsy Burlingame is the Founder and President of Expat Exchange and is one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. She launched Expat Exchange in 1997 as her Master's thesis project at NYU. Prior to Expat Exchange, Betsy worked at AT&T in International and Mass Market Marketing. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in International Business and German.

Some of Betsy's articles include 12 Best Places to Live in Portugal, 7 Best Places to Live in Panama and 12 Things to Know Before Moving to the Dominican Republic. Betsy loves to travel and spend time with her family. Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn.

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