Moving to South Africa from Estonia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Estonia to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Estonia to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 25.0% cheaper than Estonia overall. A €64,304 salary in Estonia would need to be roughly ZAR852,584 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Pretoria averages 77°F vs 48°F in Tallinn, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Estonia to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
€64,304 → ZAR852,584
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 50.8% less
Groceries
pay 11.5% less
Transportation
pay 10.9% more
Housing
pay 14.9% less
Childcare
pay 38.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 46.5% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Estonia to South Africa, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
108.172
Estonia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Estonia and South Africa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Estonia performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Estonia generally does better on environment, though South Africa leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Estonia performs better than South Africa across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Estonia performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Estonia performs better than South Africa across all family life metrics.
Data: Estonian Tax and Customs Board, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tallinn | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tallinn | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Estonia and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Estonia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Estonia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Africa than Estonia?
Generally yes: South Africa runs about 30% cheaper than Estonia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €64,304 comparable salary, that's around ZAR213,146 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 3.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Africa can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Estonia and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Estonia performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Estonia. About 37% of people in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Estonia?
Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 34.4 in Estonia. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Estonia: 79).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Estonia?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 48°F in Tallinn. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Tallinn gets 27.3 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Estonia, the official language is Estonian.
Compare further: Estonia vs. South Africa
At a Glance
EE
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,211,524 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Euro (€) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Estonian | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +372 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |