Moving to California from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to California, you would find that California is 3.3 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,274,085 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly $170,454 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to California. What does your salary buy? ZAR1,274,085 → $170,454 To maintain the same standard of living in California The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 2.5 times more Groceries pay 2.5 times more Transportation pay 45.0% more Housing pay 3.8 times more Childcare pay 8.5 times more Entertainment and Sports pay 2.8 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 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 California cost about 153% more than cities in South Africa. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to California, and how the trend has changed. people moved from South Africa to United States · OECD (latest data available) Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents. How South Africa and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. share of adults with obesity South Africa performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics. share of households with internet California performs significantly better than South Africa across all infrastructure metrics. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person share of people below the poverty line California performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics. average years of life at birth California performs significantly better than South Africa across all family life metrics. Data: The World Factbook Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: 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 United States passport holder visiting South Africa Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Day-to-day costs in California run about 127% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,274,085 comparable salary, that's around $42,614 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Africa and California. South Africa performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in. The official language in California is English. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Pretoria Sacramento Jan–Mar 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Pretoria Sacramento Jan 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
South African Weather Service, 
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Frequently Asked Questions
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At a Glance
 ZA |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 37,253,956 |
| 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 |