Moving to Colorado from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Colorado? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 2.8 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,262,572 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly $155,091 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Denver averages 65°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,262,572 → $155,091
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.5 times more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 36.1% more
Housing
pay 3.3 times more
Childcare
pay 6.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.6 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 Colorado cost about 115% 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 Colorado.
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 Colorado compared to South Africa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Colorado performs significantly better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Colorado 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
Colorado performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Colorado 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 | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°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 Colorado than South Africa?
On average Colorado is around 107% pricier than South Africa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Budget about $38,773 for 3 months in Colorado (based on a ZAR1,262,572 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Colorado?
From major Colorado cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Africa and Colorado are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to South Africa?
Colorado performs significantly better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Colorado?
The official language in Colorado is English. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Colorado
At a Glance
ZA
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 5,029,196 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | United States Dollar ($) |
| 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 |