Moving to South Africa from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 30.8% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly ZAR858,000 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.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Portugal and South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → ZAR858,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 32.1% less
Groceries
pay 18.2% less
Transportation
pay 5.6% less
Housing
pay 45.6% less
Childcare
pay 56.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.2% 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.
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 22% less than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Portugal 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
- · · ·
-
24.11,861
Portugal
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in top income tax 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
Portugal 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), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (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 | Lisbon | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
On average South Africa is about 31% less expensive than Portugal, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Budget about ZAR214,500 for 3 months in South Africa (based on a €67,000 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?
Portugal 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 Portugal.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Portugal?
Portugal 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 58.5 in Portugal. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 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 Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
Compare further: Portugal vs. South Africa
At a Glance
PT
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,804,871 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Euro (€) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Portuguese | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +351 | +27 |
| Time zones | 2 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |