Cost Of Living For a Student in South Africa 2025
Average Monthly Expenditure
Currency: ZAR
Average monthly spending for students in South Africa
How much money does a student need in a month to survive in South Africa?
Students in South Africa spend around 18,000 ZAR per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 2,700 ZAR or as high as 120,000 ZAR. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.
Prices and cost of goods and services in South Africa
Dining, food, and beverages costs
Fast food combo meal
Restaurant meal for one
Fine dining meal for one
| 250 ZAR | 380 ZAR | 1,500 ZAR |
Cappuccino or latte
Grocery and market costs
Milk large bottle
12 eggs
Fresh whole chicken
Pack of beef
Medium bag of rice
Bag of tomatos
Bag of apples
Commute, travel, and transportation costs
20 minutes taxi ride
Average car full tank
Average car 1-day rental
Average car price
| 94,000 ZAR | 190,000 ZAR | 250,000 ZAR |
Bus ticket one way
Car Service
Utility cost (monthly)
Utility Bill - Student
| 110 ZAR | 720 ZAR | 4,800 ZAR |
Internet and cable
Mobile phone charges
Leisure and activities costs
Movie ticket
One month gym membership
Cloths and accessories costs
Pair of jeans or pants
Woman dress
Woman shoes
Men's shoes
Men suit
| 190 ZAR | 230 ZAR | 1,300 ZAR |
Regular t-shirt
Housing costs / monthly rent
Studio apartment
| 3,100 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR | 13,000 ZAR |
1-bedroom apartment
| 4,700 ZAR | 7,500 ZAR | 19,000 ZAR |
2-bedroom apartment
| 6,300 ZAR | 9,400 ZAR | 25,000 ZAR |
Housing costs / Buying
Studio apartment
| 630,000 ZAR | 940,000 ZAR | 1.9M ZAR |
1-bedroom apartment
| 750,000 ZAR | 1.3M ZAR | 4.7M ZAR |
2-bedroom apartment
| 1.3M ZAR | 3.8M ZAR | 7.5M ZAR |
| $66,000 | $200,000 | $400,000 |
Furniture Costs
King Size Bed
| 3,800 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR | 6,300 ZAR |
Double Bed
| 2,500 ZAR | 3,800 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR |
Single Bed
| 2,200 ZAR | 2,900 ZAR | 3,800 ZAR |
Living Room
| 4,200 ZAR | 5,400 ZAR | 19,000 ZAR |
Dining Table
| 1,900 ZAR | 2,500 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR |
Sofa or Couch
| 2,500 ZAR | 3,400 ZAR | 7,500 ZAR |
Electronics and House Appliance Costs
TV Set
| 2,500 ZAR | 3,800 ZAR | 7,500 ZAR |
Fridge or Freezer
| 2,200 ZAR | 3,400 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR |
Washing Machine
| 2,900 ZAR | 4,200 ZAR | 7,500 ZAR |
Stove or Cooker
| 2,700 ZAR | 3,400 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR |
Mobile Phone
| 3,100 ZAR | 3,800 ZAR | 5,400 ZAR |
Laptop or Computer
| 3,400 ZAR | 4,200 ZAR | 7,500 ZAR |
How do students spend their money in South Africa?
We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.
Housing and accomodation expenditure for students
Accomodation Cost21%
21% of total expenses on average (16% to 27%)
| LOW | $35 660 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $230 4,300 ZAR |
| HIGH | $1,500 29,000 ZAR |
| Per Month |
Students in South Africa typically spend from 16% to 27% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 21% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 4,300 ZAR with expenditure ranging from 660 ZAR to 29,000 ZAR. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.
Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students
Cost of utilities5%
5% of total expenses on average (3% to 9%)
| LOW | $5.8 110 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $38 720 ZAR |
| HIGH | $250 4,800 ZAR |
| Per Month |
Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in South Africa ranges from 3% to 9% of total expenses with 5% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 720 ZAR with 110 ZAR and 4,800 ZAR being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.
Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students
Cost of transport and fuel6%
6% of total expenses on average (5% to 12%)
| LOW | $10 190 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $66 1,300 ZAR |
| HIGH | $440 8,400 ZAR |
| Per Month |
Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 190 ZAR to 8,400 ZAR in a month on commuting with 1,300 ZAR being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 6% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 12%.
Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students
Food and Groceries Cost21%
21% of total expenses on average (15% to 25%)
| LOW | $29 550 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $190 3,600 ZAR |
| HIGH | $1,300 24,000 ZAR |
| Per Month |
The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in South Africa is 3,600 ZAR. The cost of groceries can range between 550 ZAR to 24,000 ZAR. Students spend on average about 21% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 15% and 25% respectively.
Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students
Cost of healthcare7%
7% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $8.7 160 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $57 1,100 ZAR |
| HIGH | $380 7,200 ZAR |
| Per Month |
Students in South Africa allocate 4% to 10% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 7%. The range of medical expenses range from 160 ZAR to 7,200 ZAR with 1,100 ZAR being the norm for most students.
Leisure and shopping expenditure for students
Cost of leisure and shopping4%
4% of total expenses on average (2% to 8%)
| LOW | $7.2 140 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $47 900 ZAR |
| HIGH | $320 6,000 ZAR |
| Per Month |
This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 140 ZAR to 6,000 ZAR with 900 ZAR being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 8% of total expenses with an average of 4% for most students.
Education and schooling expenditure for students
Cost of education and schooling19%
19% of total expenses on average (12% to 24%)
| LOW | $28 520 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $180 3,400 ZAR |
| HIGH | $1,200 23,000 ZAR |
| Per Month |
Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 3,400 ZAR per month with 520 ZAR being the minimum spent amount and 23,000 ZAR being the maximum.
Other Expenses17%
17% of total expenses on average (11% to 23%)
| LOW | $22 410 ZAR |
| AVERAGE | $140 2,700 ZAR |
| HIGH | $950 18,000 ZAR |
| Per Month |
A typical and healthy budgeting structure
The 50/30/20 rule
Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle,
location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule,
which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.
50% for needs and financial obligations
This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.
30% for wants and discretionary spending
This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.
20% for savings and emergency fund
This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.
About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting
The 50/30/20 rule is used as a general guideline but may not be the best choice for all people. There are in fact many budgeting plans out there like the 70/20/10 and the 60/20/20 rules, all claiming to be the best. More important than all of this is to establish financial discipline by creating a budget tailored to your specific financial goals and situation. It is very important that your financial outflow be less than your income to maintain a healthy cash flow.
Affordable living in South Africa
Income and cost of living compatibility
We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.
Is it affordable or economical to live in South Africa?
Around 68% of surveyed students think that living in South Africa is affordable with proper budgeting while 32% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.
Low-cost alternatives in South Africa
People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:
Plenty of low-cost options61%
Few low-cost options39%
Based on the survey, 61% of the students living in South Africa have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 39% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.
Emergency Funds For Students
An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of South Africa whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.
Yes68%
No32%
Based on the survey, 32% of the students living in South Africa said that they don't have an emergency fund while 68% said that they do.
Financial Literacy in South Africa
Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.
Financial Leteracy63%
We asked student guardians and parents in South Africa whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 37% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 63% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.
Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning
We wanted to understand whether students of South Africa have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 27% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 73% said that they have everything under control.
Struggles with finance27%
Easily manages finances73%
Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in South Africa
Rental costs and house/apartment prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Rent Cost in South Africa
Monthly Rent Prices
Studio apartment monthly rent cost
| 3,100 ZAR | 4,700 ZAR | 13,000 ZAR |
1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 4,700 ZAR | 7,500 ZAR | 19,000 ZAR |
2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 6,300 ZAR | 9,400 ZAR | 25,000 ZAR |
3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 7,500 ZAR | 13,000 ZAR | 34,000 ZAR |
Furnished apartment monthly rent cost
| 15,000 ZAR | 38,000 ZAR | 75,000 ZAR |
Townhouse monthly rent cost
| 13,000 ZAR | 19,000 ZAR | 54,000 ZAR |
House monthly rent cost
| 15,000 ZAR | 38,000 ZAR | 75,000 ZAR |
Villa monthly rent cost
| 19,000 ZAR | 47,000 ZAR | 75,000 ZAR |
The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in South Africa ranges between 3,100 ZAR and 13,000 ZAR, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 4,700 ZAR to 19,000 ZAR. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 6,300 ZAR and 25,000 ZAR per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 7,500 ZAR to 34,000 ZAR. The average rent of a townhouse in South Africa is around 19,000 ZAR while house rental costs can be as high as 38,000 ZAR per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 19,000 ZAR to 75,000 ZAR per month.
Apartment and house prices in South Africa
Cost of buying a property
Studio apartment price
| 630,000 ZAR | 940,000 ZAR | 1.9M ZAR |
1-bedroom apartment price
| 750,000 ZAR | 1.3M ZAR | 4.7M ZAR |
2-bedroom apartment price
| 1.3M ZAR | 3.8M ZAR | 7.5M ZAR |
| $66,000 | $200,000 | $400,000 |
3-bedroom apartment price
| 4.2M ZAR | 6.3M ZAR | 19M ZAR |
| $220,000 | $330,000 | $990,000 |
Townhouse price
House price
Villa price
The average price of a studio apartment in South Africa can range from 630,000 ZAR to 1.9M ZAR depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 750,000 ZAR to 4.7M ZAR. A villa can cost you 42M ZAR on average with prices ranging from 7.5M ZAR to 63M ZAR.
If you're leasing or purchasing, housing costs in South Africa will probably constitute your biggest expenditure, yet it's an area where you wield considerable influence. This is due to the substantial variance in housing prices across communities. Keep in mind the location of your workplace and the accessibility of essential amenities to prevent negating the savings from lower rental rates with increased transportation expenses.
House / apartment prices to income ratio
Property price to income ratio
( average property price / average monthly income ) x 100
| 42 | x122 monthly income | 213 |
Property prices in South Africa can be x122 to x213 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x122 multiples of the average monthly salary in South Africa.
Rent to income ratio
Rent to income ratio
( monthly rental / monthly income ) x 100
The average rent-to-income ratio in South Africa is around 32%. This means that people pay 32% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 22% to 42% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.
The housing-to-income ratio is a very important metric to evaluate and measure how affordable living is in a particular area, city, or country since housing comprises the biggest chunk of expenditure. A higher housing to income ratio means that the place is relatively expensive. The figure by itself does tell much. It only starts to make sense when comparing the housing to income ratio across different locations.
Housing affordability index
The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.
Housing Affordability Index
30% Property Taxes
Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.
Home Maintenance Costs
Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.
Urban vs. rural living costs
Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.
Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in South Africa
Utilities expenditure can vary slightly between different areas and locations.
Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in South Africa
Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student
| 110 ZAR | 720 ZAR | 4,800 ZAR |
Internet and cable cost
Mobile phone bill and charges
Because most utility bills club electricity, water, and gas costs in one bill, we can't provide a breakup for each type of utility and will display electricity, gas, and water as single cost.
The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 720 ZAR. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 190 ZAR to 500 ZAR with 380 ZAR being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 250 ZAR but can range between 150 ZAR and 750 ZAR depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.
Energy / Utility expense to income ratio
( monthly utility expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average utility-to-income ratio in South Africa is around 5%. This means that people pay 5% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 2% to 9% depending on salary and location.
Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in South Africa
Grocery / Food expenditure and prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Prices and cost of goods and services in South Africa
Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.
Fast food combo meal price
The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in South Africa is approximatly 75 ZAR with meal cost ranging from 38 ZAR to 130 ZAR. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.
Restaurant meal for one price
If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 130 ZAR and 380 ZAR with 190 ZAR being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in South Africa.
Fine dining meal for one price
| 250 ZAR | 380 ZAR | 1,500 ZAR |
The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 250 ZAR to 1,500 ZAR with the average cost being 380 ZAR for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in South Africa.
Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..
The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in South Africa is around 50 ZAR. Price ranges between 31 ZAR and 75 ZAR depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.
Grocery and market costs
Large bottle of milk price
The average price of a large bottle of milk in South Africa is 30 ZAR. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 38 ZAR and the minimum being 25 ZAR depending on the brand of milk and other properties.
12 eggs price
A dozen eggs costs around 25 ZAR on average with 19 ZAR and 38 ZAR being the lower and upper limits respectively.
Fresh whole chicken price
The price range of a fresh whole chicken in South Africa is between 43 ZAR and 78 ZAR depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 55 ZAR.
Pack of beef price
The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 75 ZAR. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.
Medium bag of rice price
A bag of rice in South Africa costs around 28 ZAR on average with prices rangeing between 20 ZAR and 39 ZAR depending on the brand and quality.
Bag of tomatos price
A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 7.5 ZAR to 19 ZAR. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Bag of apples price
A bag of apples costs 18 ZAR on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio
( monthly grocery expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average grocery-to-income ratio in South Africa is around 25%. This means that students spend 25% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 17% to 31% depending on salary and location.
Expenditure on food and grocery for students
Students' spending on grocery ranges from 550 ZAR to 24,000 ZAR with the location, income, and size of the student being the most determinite factors.
