Moving to Philippines from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Philippines — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Philippines, you would find that Philippines is 15.1% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,274,085 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly ₱4,168,174 in Philippines to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Manila averages 88°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer. How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Philippines. What does your salary buy? ZAR1,274,085 → ₱4,168,174 To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 45.1% less Groceries pay 34.7% more Transportation pay 37.4% less Housing pay 32.6% less Childcare pay 8.6% more Entertainment and Sports pay 12.6% 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. 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%). 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 Philippines, and how the trend has changed. Top countries of origin for Philippines's foreign-born residents. How South Africa and Philippines stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. per 100,000 people per year per 100,000 people per year Philippines performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. 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 Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year South Africa generally does better on environment, though Philippines leads in co₂ emissions per capita. fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work higher means greater strain on freshwater supply annual consumption — reflects grid capacity share of households with internet South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Philippines leads in broadband per 100 people. 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 Philippines leads in unemployment rate. 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 Philippines 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 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 Philippines. To live, work, or study long-term in Philippines, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Philippines's immigration authority. South Africa passport holder visiting Philippines Philippines passport holder visiting South Africa Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Generally yes: Philippines runs about 9% cheaper than South Africa on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,274,085 comparable salary, that's around ₱1,042,044 in Philippines for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. With 7.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Philippines 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 Philippines. Philippines performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa. Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71). The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in. The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. 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 Manila Jan–Mar 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) Jul–Sep 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) Oct–Dec 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) View all months
Month Pretoria Manila Jan 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) Feb 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) Mar 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) Apr 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) May 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) Jun 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) Jul 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) Aug 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) Sep 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) Oct 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) Nov 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) Dec 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) 
South African Weather Service, 
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Visitor Visa Requirements
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Compare further: South Africa vs. Philippines
At a Glance
 ZA |  PH | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 114,597,229 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Philippine Peso (₱) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | English, Filipino |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +63 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 911 |