Moving to South Africa from Iran
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iran to South Africa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iran to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 2.4 times more expensive than Iran overall. A IRR101,328,750,000 salary in Iran would need to be roughly ZAR1,020,798 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.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iran to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
IRR101,328,750,000 → ZAR1,020,798
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 50.0% more
Groceries
pay 91.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.8 times more
Housing
pay 3.5 times more
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 times 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Iran to South Africa, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
-
75.847
Iran
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iran to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iran 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
Iran performs better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa performs significantly better than Iran across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Iran generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa 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
Iran 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
Iran generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: 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 | Tehran | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/35°F (11°/2°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 94°/72°F (35°/22°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tehran | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/30°F (7.2°/-1.1°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 50°/33°F (9.9°/0.7°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 60°/41°F (15.4°/5.2°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 71°/52°F (21.9°/10.9°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.1°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (34.1°/20.9°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 98°/75°F (36.8°/24.0°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 96°/73°F (35.4°/23.0°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.2°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.7°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.3°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iran 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.
Iran passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting Iran
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Iran?
Yes — South Africa is on average about 16% cheaper than Iran. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZAR255,200 in South Africa on a IRR101,328,750,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Internet is rarely the blocker — South Africa has 3.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Iran performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.4 in Iran.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Iran?
Iran performs better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 15.1 in Iran. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iran: 74).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Iran?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 72°F in Tehran. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Tehran gets 9.1 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 Iran, the official language is Persian (Farsi).
Compare further: Iran vs. South Africa
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
IR
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 86,758,304 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Iranian Rial (IRR) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Persian (Farsi) | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +98 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 115 | 10111 |