Moving to South Africa from India
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from India to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from India to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 2.9 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,300,000 salary in India would need to be roughly ZAR3,670,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Pretoria averages 77°F vs 88°F in Delhi, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from India to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
₹7,300,000 → ZAR3,670,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.1 times more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 2.7 times more
Housing
pay 4.0 times more
Childcare
pay 3.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 66.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in South Africa cost about 121% more than cities in India.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to South Africa
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from India 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
- · · ·
-
14.29,935
India
Key Indicator Comparison
How India and South Africa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
India 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
India generally does better on environment, though South Africa leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though India leads in water stress level.
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
share of people below the poverty line
India generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in gdp per capita.
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
India generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017), The World Factbook (2011). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Delhi | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Delhi | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
India Meteorological Department,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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.
India passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: 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 India?
Day-to-day costs in South Africa run about 194% higher than India on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 ₹7,300,000 comparable salary, that's around ZAR917,500 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 5.3 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 India and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
India performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to India?
India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 7.2 in India. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to India?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 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 India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.
Compare further: India vs. South Africa
At a Glance
IN
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,463,865,525 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Indian Rupee (₹) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Tamil | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +91 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |