Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and South Africa 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in South Africa is 49.2% lower than in Australia (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in South Africa is 53.0% lower than in Australia | |
| Rent Prices in South Africa are 62.7% lower than in Australia | |
| Restaurant Prices in South Africa are 49.1% lower than in Australia | |
| Groceries Prices in South Africa are 58.9% lower than in Australia | |
| Local Purchasing Power in South Africa is 21.1% lower than in Australia | |
Restaurants | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
25.00 A$ (288.56 R) |
13.86 A$ (160.00 R) |
-44.6 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
120.00 A$ (1,385.08 R) |
60.65 A$ (700.00 R) |
-49.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
15.00 A$ (173.14 R) |
7.80 A$ (90.00 R) |
-48.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
10.00 A$ (115.42 R) |
3.47 A$ (40.00 R) |
-65.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
11.00 A$ (126.97 R) |
3.90 A$ (45.00 R) |
-64.6 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
5.38 A$ (62.07 R) |
3.11 A$ (35.87 R) |
-42.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
4.03 A$ (46.53 R) |
1.52 A$ (17.59 R) |
-62.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
3.32 A$ (38.36 R) |
1.20 A$ (13.82 R) |
-64.0 % |
Markets | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
8.95 A$ (103.35 R) |
6.40 A$ (73.92 R) |
-28.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
3.43 A$ (39.59 R) |
1.39 A$ (16.04 R) |
-59.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
1.44 A$ (16.58 R) |
1.11 A$ (12.83 R) |
-22.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
6.69 A$ (77.19 R) |
3.54 A$ (40.83 R) |
-47.1 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
6.15 A$ (70.97 R) |
5.40 A$ (62.37 R) |
-12.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
5.87 A$ (67.76 R) |
3.24 A$ (37.34 R) |
-44.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
9.72 A$ (112.14 R) |
4.74 A$ (54.70 R) |
-51.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
2.23 A$ (25.75 R) |
1.08 A$ (12.50 R) |
-51.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
1.92 A$ (22.20 R) |
1.01 A$ (11.65 R) |
-47.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
2.04 A$ (23.53 R) |
1.04 A$ (11.99 R) |
-49.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
3.00 A$ (34.63 R) |
1.07 A$ (12.32 R) |
-64.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
1.74 A$ (20.08 R) |
0.86 A$ (9.95 R) |
-50.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
1.50 A$ (17.31 R) |
0.92 A$ (10.58 R) |
-38.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
3.43 A$ (39.57 R) |
1.64 A$ (18.99 R) |
-52.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
2.38 A$ (27.42 R) |
1.48 A$ (17.07 R) |
-37.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
20.00 A$ (230.85 R) |
7.36 A$ (85.00 R) |
-63.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
6.91 A$ (79.79 R) |
2.08 A$ (24.05 R) |
-69.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
7.60 A$ (87.70 R) |
2.62 A$ (30.23 R) |
-65.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
48.00 A$ (554.03 R) |
4.51 A$ (52.00 R) |
-90.6 % |
Transportation | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
4.50 A$ (51.94 R) |
2.60 A$ (30.00 R) |
-42.2 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
146.74 A$ (1,693.71 R) |
69.31 A$ (800.00 R) |
-52.8 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
5.80 A$ (66.95 R) |
1.73 A$ (20.00 R) |
-70.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
4.35 A$ (50.15 R) |
2.65 A$ (30.58 R) |
-39.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
58.40 A$ (674.07 R) |
7.36 A$ (85.00 R) |
-87.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
6.86 A$ (79.13 R) |
7.46 A$ (86.08 R) |
+8.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
44,423.00 A$ (512,745.30 R) |
32,055.90 A$ (370,000.00 R) |
-27.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
34,966.35 A$ (403,593.48 R) |
36,812.69 A$ (424,904.54 R) |
+5.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
272.38 A$ (3,143.94 R) |
173.20 A$ (1,999.12 R) |
-36.4 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
40.74 A$ (470.20 R) |
50.22 A$ (579.71 R) |
+23.3 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
81.86 A$ (944.83 R) |
63.70 A$ (735.20 R) |
-22.2 % |
Sports And Leisure | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
73.17 A$ (844.50 R) |
48.81 A$ (563.40 R) |
-33.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
25.59 A$ (295.35 R) |
14.75 A$ (170.30 R) |
-42.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
21.50 A$ (248.16 R) |
10.40 A$ (120.00 R) |
-51.6 % |
Childcare | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
2,435.95 A$ (28,116.61 R) |
292.63 A$ (3,377.68 R) |
-88.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
19,420.93 A$ (224,163.00 R) |
6,779.02 A$ (78,245.77 R) |
-65.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
109.19 A$ (1,260.36 R) |
76.10 A$ (878.37 R) |
-30.3 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
78.38 A$ (904.73 R) |
47.51 A$ (548.42 R) |
-39.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
156.42 A$ (1,805.47 R) |
143.96 A$ (1,661.64 R) |
-8.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
169.40 A$ (1,955.30 R) |
123.71 A$ (1,427.91 R) |
-27.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
2,118.41 A$ (24,451.44 R) |
687.52 A$ (7,935.59 R) |
-67.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
1,671.19 A$ (19,289.43 R) |
568.68 A$ (6,563.93 R) |
-66.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
3,549.66 A$ (40,971.37 R) |
1,381.30 A$ (15,943.38 R) |
-61.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
2,690.54 A$ (31,055.10 R) |
1,100.93 A$ (12,707.34 R) |
-59.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
980.49 A$ (11,317.11 R) |
144.88 A$ (1,672.22 R) |
-85.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
732.05 A$ (8,449.58 R) |
110.72 A$ (1,277.96 R) |
-84.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | Australia Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
5,506.26 A$ (63,555.12 R) |
2,041.10 A$ (23,559.08 R) |
-62.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.35 | 11.55 | +81.9 % |
| Last update: | 9 June 2025 | 10 June 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 1551 | 707 |
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