South Africa offers a great opportunity for foreigners who are thinking of moving from Europe to Africa. There are two major cities that offer great opportunities – Johannesburg the city of Gold and sunny Cape Town, the mother city. Below is a table to help you make an informed decision, on your move, rental costs, food, tax and pension fund.
Cost of living South Africa: Rental cost
Rental prices in South Africa depend on the neighbourhood you decide to stay in. Below I have put some rentals for both cities and rentals in the CBD (central Business District) and areas near and around.
| Cape Town | in ZAR per month | Johannesburg | in ZAR per month |
| Type | Rental | Type | Rental |
| Share house | 1,800 – 3,000 | Share house | 2,000 – 4,000 |
| Studio | 3,000 – 6,000 | Studio | 3,000 – 5,000 |
| One bedroom flat | 3,000 – 7,500 | One bedroom flat | 4,000 – 8,500 |
| Two bedroom flat | 4,000 – 11,000 | Two bedroom flat | 5,000 -12,000 |
Cost of living South Africa: Food prices
The below prices on food, eating out and groceries are supposed to give you an indication on how much living costs are in South Africa.
| Meal in restaurant | From 65 |
| Mcdonalds (fast food) | From 21 |
| Beer | R10 – R18 |
| Cigarettes | R20 for a 10 pack and R30 for a 20 pack |
| Bread | R9 |
| Milk | R6 |
| Bread spread | R12 |
| 5 chicken pieces | R20 |
| Beef | R35 per kg |
| Cooking oil | R30 |
| Potatoes | R5 |
| Bath soap | R7 |
| Tooth paste | R8 |
Cost of living South Africa: Tax
The table below is there to give you an indication on income tax payments in South Africa. Please remember these are estimates. Deductions will vary with each employer as other employers will deduct other things like Medical insurance and Provident Fund (pension). UIF (unemployment insurance fund) is charged at 1% of your salary and is Capped at R148.72 so if you get a salary of anything above R15,000.00 – R1,000,000.00 your UIF will remain R148.72
| Cost to company | Tax deductions |
| R6000 | R75 |
| R8000 | R434 |
| R10000 | R793 |
| R12000 | R1154 |
| R14000 | R1527 |
| R16000 | R2026 |
| R18000 | R2526 |
| R20000 | R3027 |
