Moving to Brazil from South Africa
If you moved from South Africa to Brazil, you would find that Brazil is 15.3% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly R$312,000 in Brazil to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Brazil cheaper than South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 11.3% less
Groceries
pay 6.8% less
Transportation
pay 19.0% less
Housing
pay 29.8% less
Childcare
pay 63.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Brazil?
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → R$312,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Brazil
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 Brazil cost about 16% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Brazil, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Brazil stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Brazil 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Brazil 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
Brazil performs significantly 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
Brazil 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
share of people below the poverty line
Brazil performs significantly 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Brazil generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Secretaria da Receita Federal do Brasil (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Brazil vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Sao Paulo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 81°/66°F (28°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 74°/57°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Sao Paulo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 81°/66°F (27.3°/18.7°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 82°/66°F (28.0°/18.8°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 81°/65°F (27.2°/18.2°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 77°/61°F (25.1°/16.3°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.4°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 74°/55°F (23.3°/12.8°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 75°/57°F (23.9°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.3°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 79°/62°F (25.9°/16.6°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.7°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia
Can you move from South Africa to Brazil?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Brazil. To live, work, or study long-term in Brazil, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Brazil's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Brazil
Visa Free
Brazil 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 Brazil than South Africa?
Generally yes: Brazil runs about 15% cheaper than South Africa on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Brazil?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around R$78,000 in Brazil for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Brazil?
With 24.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Brazil can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Brazil.
Is Brazil safe for expats?
Brazil performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Brazil is 19.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa. About 48% of people in Brazil feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Brazil compared to South Africa?
Brazil generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Brazil, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Brazil scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Brazil compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Sao Paulo is 77°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Sao Paulo receives around 57.3 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Brazil?
The official language in Brazil is Portuguese. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Brazil
At a Glance
ZA
|
BR
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 212,812,405 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Brazilian Real (R$) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Portuguese |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +55 |
| Time zones | 1 | 4 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 190 |