Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and China 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in China is 6.5% lower than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in China is 7.0% lower than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in China are 8.9% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in China are 31.1% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in China are 15.7% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in China is 23.5% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (64.38 ¥) |
49.70 R (20.00 ¥) |
-68.9 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (281.67 ¥) |
447.33 R (180.00 ¥) |
-36.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
90.00 R (36.21 ¥) |
86.98 R (35.00 ¥) |
-3.4 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (16.10 ¥) |
17.40 R (7.00 ¥) |
-56.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (18.11 ¥) |
37.28 R (15.00 ¥) |
-17.2 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.83 R (14.42 ¥) |
55.16 R (22.20 ¥) |
+54.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.60 R (7.08 ¥) |
8.20 R (3.30 ¥) |
-53.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.78 R (5.55 ¥) |
5.14 R (2.07 ¥) |
-62.7 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.59 R (29.61 ¥) |
122.08 R (49.12 ¥) |
+65.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.03 R (6.45 ¥) |
26.80 R (10.78 ¥) |
+67.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.85 R (5.17 ¥) |
7.60 R (3.06 ¥) |
-40.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.94 R (16.47 ¥) |
28.64 R (11.52 ¥) |
-30.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
62.12 R (25.00 ¥) |
106.74 R (42.95 ¥) |
+71.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.03 R (14.90 ¥) |
26.67 R (10.73 ¥) |
-28.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.59 R (21.97 ¥) |
87.01 R (35.01 ¥) |
+59.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.47 R (5.02 ¥) |
14.51 R (5.84 ¥) |
+16.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.60 R (4.67 ¥) |
10.30 R (4.15 ¥) |
-11.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
12.04 R (4.85 ¥) |
12.03 R (4.84 ¥) |
-0.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.35 R (4.97 ¥) |
9.45 R (3.80 ¥) |
-23.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.92 R (3.99 ¥) |
6.03 R (2.42 ¥) |
-39.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.54 R (4.24 ¥) |
7.29 R (2.93 ¥) |
-30.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.76 R (7.55 ¥) |
10.70 R (4.30 ¥) |
-43.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
17.04 R (6.86 ¥) |
9.88 R (3.98 ¥) |
-42.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (34.20 ¥) |
198.82 R (80.00 ¥) |
+133.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
24.00 R (9.66 ¥) |
14.46 R (5.82 ¥) |
-39.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.49 R (12.27 ¥) |
29.24 R (11.77 ¥) |
-4.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (20.92 ¥) |
62.13 R (25.00 ¥) |
+19.5 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (12.07 ¥) |
7.46 R (3.00 ¥) |
-75.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (321.91 ¥) |
372.78 R (150.00 ¥) |
-53.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (8.05 ¥) |
24.85 R (10.00 ¥) |
+24.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (12.95 ¥) |
10.00 R (4.02 ¥) |
-68.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (34.20 ¥) |
119.29 R (48.00 ¥) |
+40.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.56 R (34.83 ¥) |
77.52 R (31.19 ¥) |
-10.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (148,881.94 ¥) |
347,926.69 R (140,000.00 ¥) |
-6.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
423,078.06 R (170,239.68 ¥) |
301,543.48 R (121,336.15 ¥) |
-28.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,009.15 R (808.45 ¥) |
907.39 R (365.12 ¥) |
-54.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
572.89 R (230.52 ¥) |
178.25 R (71.73 ¥) |
-68.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
730.84 R (294.08 ¥) |
205.00 R (82.49 ¥) |
-71.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
557.60 R (224.37 ¥) |
728.79 R (293.25 ¥) |
+30.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
174.01 R (70.02 ¥) |
265.57 R (106.86 ¥) |
+52.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (48.29 ¥) |
111.83 R (45.00 ¥) |
-6.8 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,405.44 R (1,370.29 ¥) |
7,356.04 R (2,959.95 ¥) |
+116.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,257.76 R (32,294.41 ¥) |
316,594.28 R (127,392.35 ¥) |
+294.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
874.70 R (351.97 ¥) |
825.35 R (332.11 ¥) |
-5.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.45 R (221.89 ¥) |
583.77 R (234.90 ¥) |
+5.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,644.83 R (661.85 ¥) |
1,292.26 R (519.98 ¥) |
-21.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,422.72 R (572.48 ¥) |
1,336.59 R (537.82 ¥) |
-6.1 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
7,984.86 R (3,212.98 ¥) |
7,911.11 R (3,183.30 ¥) |
-0.9 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,539.28 R (2,631.30 ¥) |
4,754.56 R (1,913.16 ¥) |
-27.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
15,973.94 R (6,427.65 ¥) |
16,960.05 R (6,824.44 ¥) |
+6.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,778.57 R (5,141.89 ¥) |
9,800.56 R (3,943.58 ¥) |
-23.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,658.95 R (667.54 ¥) |
11,043.58 R (4,443.76 ¥) |
+565.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,278.84 R (514.58 ¥) |
5,143.08 R (2,069.49 ¥) |
+302.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,540.58 R (9,472.35 ¥) |
16,744.14 R (6,737.57 ¥) |
-28.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.55 | 4.09 | -64.6 % |
| Last update: | 24 May 2025 | 24 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 709 | 1366 |
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