Moving to South Africa from Thailand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Thailand to South Africa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Thailand to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 13.0% more expensive than Thailand overall. A THB2,500,000 salary in Thailand would need to be roughly ZAR1,390,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Pretoria averages 77°F vs 91°F in Bangkok, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Thailand to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
THB2,500,000 → ZAR1,390,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 87.7% more
Groceries
pay 9.1% less
Transportation
pay 21.3% more
Housing
pay 29.6% more
Childcare
pay 59.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.5% 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 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 South Africa cost about 5% more than cities in Thailand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Thailand to South Africa, based on official data.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
73.1,054
Thailand
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Thailand to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Thailand generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Thailand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Thailand performs 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
Thailand generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
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
Thailand performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Thailand generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The Revenue Department, Government of Thailand (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bangkok | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 93°/78°F (34°/26°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bangkok | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/70°F (32.0°/21.0°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.3°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 93°/77°F (33.7°/24.9°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 95°/79°F (34.9°/26.1°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 93°/78°F (34.0°/25.6°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.4°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.0°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.5°/24.9°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 90°/76°F (32.3°/24.6°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 88°/69°F (31.3°/20.8°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Thai Meteorological Department,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Thailand and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Thailand passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Thailand
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 South Africa than Thailand?
No — South Africa is on average about 13% more expensive than Thailand. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZAR347,500 in South Africa on a THB2,500,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Internet is rarely the blocker — South Africa has 5.3 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 South Africa safe for expats?
Thailand generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.8 in Thailand. About 37% of people in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Thailand?
Thailand 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 South Africa, compared to 5.4 in Thailand. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Thailand: 82).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Thailand?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 91°F in Bangkok. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bangkok gets 59.0 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Thailand, the official language is Thai.
Compare further: Thailand vs. South Africa
At a Glance
TH
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,619,863 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Thai Baht (THB) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Thai | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +66 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 191 | 10111 |