Moving to South Africa from Pakistan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Pakistan to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Pakistan to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 2.5 times more expensive than Pakistan overall. A PKR21,000,000 salary in Pakistan would need to be roughly ZAR3,170,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Johannesburg averages 71°F vs 90°F in Karachi, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Africa cheaper than Pakistan?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 88.2% more
Housing
pay 3.4 times more
Childcare
pay 3.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 46.0% 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.
What salary do you need in South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
PKR21,000,000 → ZAR3,170,000
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 58% more than cities in Pakistan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Pakistan 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
- · · ·
-
22.13,325
Pakistan
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Pakistan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Pakistan 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
Pakistan 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
Pakistan 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 performs significantly better than Pakistan 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
Pakistan 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 generally does better on family life, though Pakistan leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Pakistan
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Karachi | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 84°/58°F (29°/15°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 96°/79°F (35°/26°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 91°/80°F (33°/27°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/63°F (32°/17°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Karachi | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/53°F (26.3°/11.5°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 83°/57°F (28.4°/14.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 90°/65°F (32.2°/18.6°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 95°/73°F (34.8°/23.0°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 96°/80°F (35.5°/26.6°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 96°/83°F (35.4°/28.3°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/82°F (33.3°/27.6°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 90°/79°F (32.1°/26.3°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 92°/78°F (33.2°/25.7°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.5°/21.9°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 90°/62°F (32.5°/16.8°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 83°/55°F (28.2°/12.7°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
South African Weather ServiceCan you move from Pakistan to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Pakistan 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.
Pakistan passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting Pakistan
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 Pakistan?
On average South Africa is around 154% pricier than Pakistan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Budget about ZAR792,500 for 3 months in South Africa (based on a PKR21,000,000 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?
Pakistan performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Pakistan.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Pakistan?
Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 11.6 in Pakistan. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Pakistan: 45).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Pakistan?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 90°F in Karachi. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Karachi gets 6.9 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 Pakistan, the official languages are English and Urdu.
Compare further: Pakistan vs. South Africa
At a Glance
PK
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 255,219,554 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Pakistani Rupee (PKR) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English, Urdu | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +92 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 15 | 10111 |