Moving to South Africa from Kenya
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kenya to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kenya to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 61.3% more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,700,000 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly ZAR1,990,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kenya and South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,700,000 → ZAR1,990,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 64.2% more
Groceries
pay 40.9% more
Transportation
pay 31.5% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 24.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.9% 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Kenya to South Africa.
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
- · · ·
-
18.19,901
Kenya
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Kenya.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kenya generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Kenya 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
Kenya performs better than South Africa 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
share of households with internet
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Kenya 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
Kenya 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
South Africa performs significantly better than Kenya across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Authority (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017), The World Factbook (2021). 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 | Nairobi | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya 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.
Kenya passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Kenya
Visa FreeData: 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 Kenya?
On average South Africa is around 61% pricier than Kenya, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Budget about ZAR497,500 for 3 months in South Africa (based on a KES9,700,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Connectivity is usually fine (South Africa: 5.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does South Africa offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Kenya generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Kenya?
Kenya 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 2.9 in Kenya. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 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 Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
Compare further: Kenya vs. South Africa
At a Glance
KE
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,532,493 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Kenyan Shilling (KES) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English, Swahili | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +254 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 10111 |