Moving to Greece from South Africa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Africa to Greece — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Africa to Greece, you would find that Greece is 58.3% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,223,766 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly €97,800 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Africa to Greece.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,223,766 → €97,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 67.4% more
Groceries
pay 42.2% more
Transportation
pay 36.4% more
Housing
pay 36.3% more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 82.4% 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 Greece cost about 34% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from South Africa to Greece, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Africa to Greece.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Greece 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
Greece 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
Greece 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
Greece 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
South Africa generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece leads in unemployment rate.
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
Greece generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
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 | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Required
Greece 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 Greece than South Africa?
No — Greece is on average about 49% more expensive than South Africa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €24,450 in Greece on a ZAR1,223,766 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Greece?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Greece has 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Greece safe for expats?
Greece performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to South Africa?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. 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. Greece
At a Glance
ZA
|
GR
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 10,533,871 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Euro (€) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Greek |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +30 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |