Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and China 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in China is 1.4% lower than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in China is 1.9% lower than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in China are 3.8% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in China are 27.4% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in China are 21.4% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in China is 24.2% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (61.91 ¥) |
54.71 R (21.17 ¥) |
-65.8 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (270.84 ¥) |
465.22 R (180.00 ¥) |
-33.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
89.99 R (34.82 ¥) |
92.40 R (35.75 ¥) |
+2.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (15.48 ¥) |
18.09 R (7.00 ¥) |
-54.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (17.41 ¥) |
38.77 R (15.00 ¥) |
-13.8 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.56 R (13.76 ¥) |
57.44 R (22.23 ¥) |
+61.6 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.46 R (6.75 ¥) |
8.49 R (3.29 ¥) |
-51.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.58 R (5.26 ¥) |
5.32 R (2.06 ¥) |
-60.9 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.61 R (28.48 ¥) |
127.05 R (49.16 ¥) |
+72.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.04 R (6.21 ¥) |
27.93 R (10.81 ¥) |
+74.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.74 R (4.93 ¥) |
7.93 R (3.07 ¥) |
-37.8 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.49 R (15.66 ¥) |
30.06 R (11.63 ¥) |
-25.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.62 R (23.84 ¥) |
110.29 R (42.67 ¥) |
+79.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
36.99 R (14.31 ¥) |
27.85 R (10.77 ¥) |
-24.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.36 R (21.03 ¥) |
91.85 R (35.54 ¥) |
+69.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (4.78 ¥) |
15.06 R (5.83 ¥) |
+21.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (4.46 ¥) |
10.75 R (4.16 ¥) |
-6.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (4.64 ¥) |
12.65 R (4.89 ¥) |
+5.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.28 R (4.75 ¥) |
9.93 R (3.84 ¥) |
-19.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.90 R (3.83 ¥) |
6.34 R (2.45 ¥) |
-35.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.52 R (4.07 ¥) |
7.62 R (2.95 ¥) |
-27.5 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.60 R (7.20 ¥) |
11.22 R (4.34 ¥) |
-39.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (6.55 ¥) |
10.26 R (3.97 ¥) |
-39.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (32.89 ¥) |
206.76 R (80.00 ¥) |
+143.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.97 R (9.28 ¥) |
14.95 R (5.78 ¥) |
-37.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.70 R (11.88 ¥) |
30.60 R (11.84 ¥) |
-0.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (20.12 ¥) |
64.61 R (25.00 ¥) |
+24.3 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (11.61 ¥) |
7.75 R (3.00 ¥) |
-74.2 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (309.53 ¥) |
500.44 R (193.63 ¥) |
-37.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (7.74 ¥) |
25.85 R (10.00 ¥) |
+29.2 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (12.45 ¥) |
10.40 R (4.02 ¥) |
-67.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (32.89 ¥) |
124.06 R (48.00 ¥) |
+46.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.78 R (33.58 ¥) |
80.72 R (31.23 ¥) |
-7.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (143,158.43 ¥) |
361,836.89 R (140,000.00 ¥) |
-2.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
419,697.49 R (162,387.12 ¥) |
313,712.69 R (121,380.04 ¥) |
-25.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.99 R (776.15 ¥) |
956.87 R (370.23 ¥) |
-52.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
564.47 R (218.40 ¥) |
186.61 R (72.20 ¥) |
-66.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
735.09 R (284.42 ¥) |
215.40 R (83.34 ¥) |
-70.7 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
561.62 R (217.30 ¥) |
745.42 R (288.41 ¥) |
+32.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
180.96 R (70.02 ¥) |
274.64 R (106.26 ¥) |
+51.8 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (46.43 ¥) |
116.30 R (45.00 ¥) |
-3.1 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,428.30 R (1,326.46 ¥) |
7,731.77 R (2,991.54 ¥) |
+125.5 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
81,293.82 R (31,453.77 ¥) |
331,815.51 R (128,384.29 ¥) |
+308.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
872.09 R (337.43 ¥) |
867.63 R (335.70 ¥) |
-0.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.94 R (213.55 ¥) |
609.13 R (235.68 ¥) |
+10.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,635.55 R (632.82 ¥) |
1,354.66 R (524.14 ¥) |
-17.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,412.01 R (546.33 ¥) |
1,399.55 R (541.50 ¥) |
-0.9 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,058.38 R (3,117.91 ¥) |
8,636.27 R (3,341.50 ¥) |
+7.2 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,555.55 R (2,536.44 ¥) |
5,038.67 R (1,949.54 ¥) |
-23.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,175.35 R (6,258.48 ¥) |
17,922.37 R (6,934.43 ¥) |
+10.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,769.83 R (4,940.84 ¥) |
10,293.44 R (3,982.68 ¥) |
-19.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,692.39 R (654.81 ¥) |
11,733.11 R (4,539.71 ¥) |
+593.3 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,279.20 R (494.94 ¥) |
5,679.47 R (2,197.47 ¥) |
+344.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
China Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,486.18 R (9,087.15 ¥) |
17,454.54 R (6,753.42 ¥) |
-25.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.56 | 4.14 | -64.1 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 662 | 1272 |
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