Moving to Venezuela from South Africa

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from South Africa to Venezuela — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from South Africa to Venezuela, you would find that Venezuela is 0.7% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly VEF762,561 in Venezuela to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Caracas averages 86°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Africa to Venezuela.

What does your salary buy?

ZAR1,218,000 VEF762,561

To maintain the same standard of living in Venezuela

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 30.1% more

Groceries

pay 48.6% more

Transportation

pay 13.2% more

Housing

pay 51.5% less

Childcare

pay 23.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ZAR = 0.6142 VEF (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from South Africa to Venezuela, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
66 ↓ 7% vs 2015

people born in South Africa live in Venezuela · UN DESA

Who's moving to Venezuela?

Top countries of origin for Venezuela's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Africa to Venezuela.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ZA
45.5
VE
12.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZA
24.5
VE
13.2

Venezuela performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZA
$1,354
VE
$186
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

ZA
8.1
VE
16.6

Venezuela performs significantly better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ZA
47.0
VE
32.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZA
6.9t
VE
3.4t

Venezuela performs significantly better than South Africa across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZA
3.3
VE
9.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZA
66.9%
VE
7.5%

Venezuela generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ZA
28.0%
VE
5.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZA
$14,300
VE
$7,704

Venezuela generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ZA
65.3 yrs
VE
73.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZA
25.9
VE
17.7

Venezuela 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.

Pretoria Rain: 27.0 in/yr (685 mm)
77° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Caracas Rain: 35.9 in/yr (913 mm)
86° / 61°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Pretoria Caracas
Jan–Mar 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) 87°/58°F (31°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 88°/64°F (31°/18°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) 86°/62°F (30°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) 84°/60°F (29°/15°C)
View all months
Month Pretoria Caracas
Jan 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) 84°/56°F (29.0°/13.1°C)
Feb 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) 88°/58°F (31.0°/14.5°C)
Mar 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) 89°/60°F (31.7°/15.3°C)
Apr 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) 88°/61°F (31.1°/16.2°C)
May 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) 89°/65°F (31.8°/18.2°C)
Jun 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.1°C)
Jul 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) 88°/62°F (31.0°/16.9°C)
Aug 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) 85°/62°F (29.3°/16.6°C)
Sep 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) 86°/62°F (30.1°/16.8°C)
Oct 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) 85°/62°F (29.7°/16.4°C)
Nov 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.7°C)
Dec 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C)

Data: South African Weather Service South African Weather Service, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMEH) Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMEH)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Venezuela. To live, work, or study long-term in Venezuela, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Venezuela's immigration authority.

South Africa passport

South Africa passport holder visiting Venezuela

Visa Free
South Africa passport holders can enter Venezuela without a visa.
Venezuela passport

Venezuela passport holder visiting South Africa

Visa Free
Venezuela passport holders can enter South Africa without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Venezuela than South Africa?

Costs in Venezuela and South Africa are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.

How much money do I need to move to Venezuela?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly VEF190,640 in Venezuela on a ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Venezuela?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Venezuela has 9.6 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 Venezuela safe for expats?

Venezuela performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Venezuela is 12.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.

How is healthcare in Venezuela compared to South Africa?

Venezuela performs significantly better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 16.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Venezuela, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Venezuela scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).

What's the weather like in Venezuela compared to South Africa?

The average high temperature in Caracas is 86°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Caracas receives around 35.9 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.

What language do they speak in Venezuela?

The official language in Venezuela is Spanish. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.

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At a Glance

ZA VE
Population 57,516,665 29,789,730
Currency South African Rand (ZAR) Venezuelan Bolívar Fuerte (VEF)
Languages Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu Spanish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +27 +58
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 10111 171