Cost of Living in South Africa in 2021

Hi - I've been living in South Africa for almost 14 years and as everywhere costs have changed (although not as much in Dollar terms and in Rand terms).

Below some numbers for you (bear in mind exchange rate, currently in range of 14-14.5 Rand to 1 USD

> What is the price of a property rental in South Africa? What about buying a property?

Depending on where you live and what you buy. Small apartment (2-3 bedrooms in a standard complex) will cost you around 10 000 rand/month in residential areas of Johannesburg (where I live) such as Randburg, Bedfordview, Edenvale, Midrand), there are cheaper options, but generally you will be sacrificing some standard. In Sandton (expat's heaven) you will most likely pay more and in central Sandton (more upmarket) double. This will normally include levies, some electricity allowance, internet and DSTV. In the lower price bracket those may be excluded.
Small apartment will cost 1.5 mil ZAR upwards, of course depending on the area.
Capetown has a lot more variety in terms of prices (more extremes, although average will be similar.
Durban is quite a lot cheaper.
Look at property24.com for some ideas

> How much does petrol cost or how much does it cost to use the various public transport services?

Petrol costs around 17 rand/ litre. Public transport in South Africa is quite bad and likely you will not want to use it. In Johannesburg and Capetown you can use Uber. Capetown is best for public transport but still not ideal (I can't help with prices of public transport but it will most likely be 20-30 rand per bus ride)

> How much do you spend on average on your weekly groceries in South Africa? Have you noticed a change in the price of staple foodstuff?

We spend 2000 rand/ week for family of 3. Prices have gone up recently across the board.

> What is the price of your health insurance? How much does seeing a general practitioner or specialist cost?

Medical Aid (Discovery Classic Comprehensive plan) is costing us around 11 000 rand for the family (paid by the employer). Doctors visits are around 600 rand per visit (this is covered by medical aid although sometimes you need to pay upfront and claim)

> How much are your children's school fees? What about the cost of childcare?

My son's school fees (grade 6) are around 10 000 rand/ month + 1700 rand for afternoon care + some extramural activities - it all adds up to around 15 000 rand/ month. Pre-school can cost anything between 4 000-10 000 rand (depending on location). Nanny/au-pair cost is similar (depending on hours and level), while domestic helper will cost around 300 rand per day.

> How much do you spend on your regular bills (water, electricity, mobile phone package, internet subscription etc.) on a monthly basis?

We live in a house that we own, so pay own rates and taxes (this will be included in your rental).
The rates and taxes only ar a big portion of your monthly municipal bill (2000-2500 rand per month). In winter months our total bill for 3 bedroom house can be as much as 8 000 rand, while in summer it's usually around 4 000 rand

> What budget do you set aside for your leisure activities in South Africa? What is the price of a cinema or concert ticket? How much does a subscription to a gym cost?

Depends what you like to do, but I would say entertainment in South Africa is actually not that expensive - cinema is around 120 rand per person, dinner 200 rand per person. If you like going away than decent holiday apartment will cost around 2000 rand per night (more in season and more if it's in prime location). I haven't been to a concert for a while, but it depends who is playing - 400-600 rand upwards.
Gym membership - depends on the type of gym, from 200-250 rand per month (smaller gyms without pool) upward through 400-500 rand for standard Planet Fitness or Virgin Active memberships to around 1000 rand for more premium membership types. Those fees are often negotiable so it's worth to shop around.

What you need to take into consideration is the internet cost (in most apartments included), cost of security (also usually included, but worth to confirm).

Hope that helps - all the best with your plans!