Cost of living comparison
compared to
United States vs. South Africa Cost of Living Summary
United States is 2.8 times more expensive than South Africa overall.
- Restaurants
- pay 2.3 times more in United States
- Groceries
- pay 2.3 times more in United States
- Transportation
- pay 31.5% more in United States
- Housing
- pay 2.9 times more in United States
- Childcare
- pay 6.9 times more in United States
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 2.4 times more in United States
- Clothing
- pay 14.6% more in United States
United States vs. South Africa Cost Breakdown
If you lived in United States instead of South Africa, you would:
pay 2.3 times more for restaurants
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $9.33 ZAR158.57 | $19.45 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $5.11 ZAR86.86 | $11.12 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $1.03 ZAR17.52 | $2.56 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $0.80 ZAR13.64 | $2.00 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of restaurants
pay 2.3 times more for groceries
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $1.00 ZAR17.04 | $3.56 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $3.88 ZAR65.99 | $6.50 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $4.37 ZAR74.25 | $3.97 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $2.33 ZAR39.64 | $4.27 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $2.13 ZAR36.25 | $5.41 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $0.73 ZAR12.37 | $2.37 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.65 ZAR11.08 | $0.78 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $0.68 ZAR11.61 | $2.04 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $0.71 ZAR12.05 | $2.21 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $0.59 ZAR9.95 | $1.34 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $0.60 ZAR10.19 | $1.38 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of groceries
pay 31.5% more for transportation
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $4.92 ZAR83.64 | $3.41 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $56.18 ZAR954.32 | $65.85 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $21,394.82 ZAR363K | $32,336.38 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $9.34 ZAR158.63 | $17.61 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of transportation
pay 2.9 times more for housing
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $39.36 ZAR668.59 | $68.97 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $404.16 ZAR6,865.77 | $1,664.59 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $361.59 ZAR6,142.63 | $1,416.15 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $88.13 ZAR1,497.10 | $150.19 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of housing
pay 6.9 times more for childcare
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $173.48 ZAR2,946.96 | $1,387.27 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $3,962.11 ZAR67,307.48 | $23,196.46 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of childcare
pay 2.4 times more for entertainment and sports
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $2.18 ZAR37.00 | $5.84 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $2.05 ZAR34.81 | $5.15 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $2.96 ZAR50.35 | $9.90 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $30.26 ZAR514.07 | $51.45 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $6.85 ZAR116.34 | $13.64 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 14.6% more for clothing
South Africa | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $50.74 ZAR862.01 | $51.08 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $32.75 ZAR556.39 | $41.81 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $94.19 ZAR1,600.10 | $87.56 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $81.80 ZAR1,389.52 | $112.04 | |
South Africa vs. United States - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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