Moving to Florida from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Florida — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Florida, you would find that Florida is 2.2 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly $160,000 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. 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 Florida cheaper than South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 95.0% more
Transportation
pay 4.6% less
Housing
pay 3.5 times more
Childcare
pay 5.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.0 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.
What salary do you need in Florida?
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → $160,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Florida
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 Florida cost about 91% more 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 Florida, and how the trend has changed.
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
How South Africa and Florida stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
South Africa performs better than Florida across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Florida 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
Florida performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Florida performs significantly better than South Africa across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Florida vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 73°/54°F (23°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 64°/44°F (18.0°/6.6°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 67°/46°F (19.5°/7.9°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 78°/56°F (25.4°/13.6°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.7°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 90°/73°F (32.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.9°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 86°/71°F (30.1°/21.6°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.1°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 73°/53°F (22.9°/11.8°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 66°/46°F (19.0°/7.9°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
National Weather Service
Can you move from South Africa to Florida?
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 Florida than South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Florida run about 120% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Florida?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around $40,000 in Florida for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Florida?
Working remotely from Florida's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Africa and Florida.
How is healthcare in Florida compared to South Africa?
South Africa performs better than Florida across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Florida compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Jacksonville is 78°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Jacksonville receives around 51.7 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Florida?
The official language in Florida is English. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Florida
At a Glance
ZA
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 23,462,518 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | United States Dollar ($) |
| 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 |