Cost of living comparison
Germany is 2.0 times more expensive than South Africa overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 2.5 times more in Germany
- Groceries
-
pay 76.3% more in Germany
- Transportation
-
pay 63.0% more in Germany
- Housing
-
pay 2.0 times more in Germany
- Childcare
-
pay 2.8 times more in Germany
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 2.0 times more in Germany
- Clothing
-
pay 38.2% more in Germany
The cost of childcare, restaurants, entertainment and sports, housing, groceries, and transportation in Germany are more expensive than in South Africa. Notably, childcare, restaurants, and entertainment and sports are significantly more expensive in Germany.
If you lived in Germany instead of South Africa, you would:
pay 2.5 times more for restaurants
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$8.97
ZAR163.29
|
$14.04
€12.48
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$4.77
ZAR86.82
|
$10.20
€9.06
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$0.95
ZAR17.37
|
$2.80
€2.49
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$0.74
ZAR13.49
|
$2.41
€2.14
|
|
pay 76.3% more for groceries
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$0.99
ZAR18.03
|
$2.03
€1.80
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$3.67
ZAR66.88
|
$6.71
€5.96
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$4.20
ZAR76.41
|
$4.38
€3.89
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.23
ZAR40.53
|
$3.41
€3.03
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$2.03
ZAR36.91
|
$6.24
€5.54
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$0.68
ZAR12.32
|
$1.28
€1.13
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.62
ZAR11.23
|
$0.70
€0.62
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$0.64
ZAR11.68
|
$0.97
€0.86
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$0.70
ZAR12.71
|
$2.10
€1.87
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.55
ZAR10.08
|
$0.66
€0.59
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$0.61
ZAR11.08
|
$0.69
€0.61
|
|
pay 63.0% more for transportation
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.99
ZAR90.79
|
$7.07
€6.29
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$52.31
ZAR952.05
|
$52.96
€47.07
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$20,607.77
ZAR375,057.24
|
$28,807.86
€25,605.87
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$8.55
ZAR155.59
|
$23.02
€20.46
|
|
pay 2.0 times more for housing
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$41.37
ZAR752.92
|
$48.22
€42.86
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$382.55
ZAR6,962.40
|
$790.39
€702.54
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$326.35
ZAR5,939.46
|
$625.27
€555.77
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$80.40
ZAR1,463.23
|
$230.06
€204.49
|
|
pay 2.8 times more for childcare
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$174.12
ZAR3,168.88
|
$458.39
€407.44
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$4,033.53
ZAR73,409.39
|
$12,308.95
€10,940.81
|
|
pay 2.0 times more for entertainment and sports
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.11
ZAR38.36
|
$4.42
€3.93
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$1.88
ZAR34.27
|
$3.49
€3.10
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$2.90
ZAR52.86
|
$8.74
€7.76
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$29.50
ZAR536.90
|
$36.01
€32.00
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$6.62
ZAR120.50
|
$12.80
€11.38
|
|
pay 38.2% more for clothing
|
South Africa
|
Germany
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$47.72
ZAR868.41
|
$82.34
€73.19
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$32.06
ZAR583.47
|
$40.78
€36.25
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$90.39
ZAR1,645.06
|
$91.59
€81.41
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$81.37
ZAR1,480.86
|
$123.43
€109.71
|
|
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Germany or South Africa. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.