Moving to South Africa from Nepal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Nepal to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Nepal to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 2.7 times more expensive than Nepal overall. A NPR11,439,770 salary in Nepal would need to be roughly ZAR1,835,353 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.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Nepal to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
NPR11,439,770 → ZAR1,835,353
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.4 times more
Groceries
pay 83.3% more
Transportation
pay 89.7% more
Housing
pay 5.4 times more
Childcare
pay 2.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.2% 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Nepal 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
- · · ·
-
110.150
Nepal
Key Indicator Comparison
How Nepal 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
Nepal 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
Nepal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Nepal 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
Nepal generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
South Africa generally does better on employment & economy, though Nepal leads in unemployment rate.
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
Nepal 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 | Kathmandu | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/40°F (21°/4°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/67°F (28°/19°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/46°F (23°/8°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kathmandu | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°/36°F (18.0°/2.1°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 68°/39°F (20.2°/3.8°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 76°/46°F (24.3°/7.5°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 81°/52°F (27.4°/11.3°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 83°/60°F (28.2°/15.5°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.0°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 82°/68°F (27.7°/20.0°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 82°/67°F (28.0°/19.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 81°/65°F (27.2°/18.2°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 78°/55°F (25.8°/13.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 73°/45°F (22.7°/7.4°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 67°/37°F (19.4°/3.0°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Department of Hydrology and meteorology,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nepal 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.
Nepal passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Required
South Africa passport holder visiting Nepal
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 Nepal?
Day-to-day costs in South Africa run about 51% higher than Nepal 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 NPR11,439,770 comparable salary, that's around ZAR458,838 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, 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 Nepal and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Nepal generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Nepal.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Nepal?
Nepal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 8.7 in Nepal. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nepal: 54).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Nepal?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 77°F in Kathmandu. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Kathmandu gets 56.1 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 Nepal, the official language is Nepali.
Compare further: Nepal vs. South Africa
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
NP
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,666,598 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Nepalese Rupee (NPR) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Nepali | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +977 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 100 | 10111 |