Moving to Arizona from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 2.5 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,223,766 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly $139,565 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,223,766 → $139,565
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 20.5% more
Housing
pay 3.0 times more
Childcare
pay 5.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 times 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.
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 Arizona cost about 96% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from South Africa to Arizona.
people moved from South Africa to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
55.117,321
South Africa
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to South Africa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
South Africa performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Arizona performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Arizona performs significantly better than South Africa across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting South Africa
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 Arizona than South Africa?
On average Arizona is around 86% pricier than South Africa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $34,891 for 3 months in Arizona (based on a ZAR1,223,766 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Arizona?
From major Arizona cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Africa and Arizona are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to South Africa?
South Africa performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Arizona?
The official language in Arizona is English. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Arizona
At a Glance
ZA
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 6,392,017 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | United States Dollar ($) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | English |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +1 |
| Time zones | 1 | 11 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 911 |