Moving to South Africa from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 55.3% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK700,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly ZAR556,000 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 — Johannesburg averages 71°F vs 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Africa cheaper than Norway?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 61.3% less
Groceries
pay 54.1% less
Transportation
pay 35.3% less
Housing
pay 63.2% less
Childcare
pay 37.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 64.1% 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.
What salary do you need in South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
NOK700,000 → ZAR556,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →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 42% less than cities in Norway.
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 Norway 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
- · · ·
-
66.1,350
Norway
Key Indicator Comparison
How Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway 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
share of households with internet
Norway 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
share of people below the poverty line
Norway 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
Norway generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Norway to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Norway
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 Norway?
Generally yes: South Africa runs about 55% cheaper than Norway 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 NOK700,000 comparable salary, that's around ZAR139,000 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 Norway and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Norway performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 49.8 in Norway. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 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 Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
Compare further: Norway vs. South Africa
At a Glance
NO
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,610,870 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Norwegian Krone (NOK) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +47 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |