Moving to Bangladesh from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Bangladesh — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Bangladesh, you would find that Bangladesh is 49.7% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly BDT6,011,476 in Bangladesh to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bengali. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dhaka averages 87°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Bangladesh.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,218,000 → BDT6,011,476
To maintain the same standard of living in Bangladesh
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 60.1% less
Groceries
pay 34.7% less
Transportation
pay 31.4% less
Housing
pay 75.5% less
Childcare
pay 78.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.4% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Bangladesh stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bangladesh performs significantly 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bangladesh 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
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Bangladesh 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
Bangladesh 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Bangladesh 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 Bangladesh leads in life expectancy.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Dhaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 84°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 89°/79°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Dhaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.7°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 83°/60°F (28.1°/15.5°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 90°/69°F (32.4°/20.3°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 93°/74°F (33.8°/23.6°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 91°/76°F (32.9°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.1°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 89°/79°F (31.4°/26.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 89°/79°F (31.6°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 89°/79°F (31.8°/25.9°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.8°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 80°/58°F (26.4°/14.3°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Bangladesh. To live, work, or study long-term in Bangladesh, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Bangladesh's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Bangladesh
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Bangladesh passport holder visiting South Africa
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 Bangladesh than South Africa?
Generally yes: Bangladesh runs about 35% cheaper than South Africa on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Bangladesh?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary, that's around BDT1,502,869 in Bangladesh for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bangladesh?
With 7.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Bangladesh can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Bangladesh.
Is Bangladesh safe for expats?
Bangladesh performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bangladesh is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Bangladesh compared to South Africa?
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bangladesh leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 6.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Bangladesh, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Bangladesh scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Bangladesh compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Dhaka is 87°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Dhaka receives around 84.8 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Bangladesh?
The official language in Bangladesh is Bengali. 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. Bangladesh
At a Glance
ZA
|
BD
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 165,650,475 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Bengali |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +880 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 999 |