A growing number of long-time expats have described South Africa as “living abroad in a country that actually feels like home,” due to its proximity to its immediate surroundings and how easy it is to get around.
Living here is considerably cheaper than in the US or Europe, especially if you make use of the free international facilities that are laid out around the country. I can easily rent a one bedroom apartment in Johannesburg on Airbnb for around $100 per week, for example.
One of the reasons why South Africa’s costs are so much lower is its reliance on international infrastructure. Uber has introduced its ride sharing program to South Africa in the last couple of years, with similar technology already existing in over 70 other countries. Bikes, for example, are cheap to buy, relatively inexpensive to buy, and easy to find. (I’ve found a bike for under $300 on TradeMe).
On top of this, there are also plenty of cheap food options available. From last minute takeaways to top notch steaks, the cost of food in South Africa is surprisingly cheap.
Because food is so cheap and easy to find in South Africa, it’s also easy to spend a lot of money on food. But there are also a lot of inexpensive and delicious options that you should seriously consider trying. I think you’ll find the prices to be much higher than you might expect.
It’s also worth considering that the cost of living in South Africa is considerably higher for young people than older people. In addition to experiencing the rise of the Uber economy and relatively cheap food options, young people have to deal with a very inflated cost of living, both locally and internationally.
I would recommend checking out this great app which has a wealth of information for young people wanting to live abroad on a budget.
I hope this brief guide can help you get started and give you a good idea of what to do to save money while you’re in South Africa.
How to Save Money in South Africa
You can save more money if you focus on paying for your accommodation upfront. Because I know I will never be able to live like a millionaire in South Africa, I prefer to rent a short term apartment on Airbnb for a couple of months before I make any other major purchases.
To me, it’s not so much about saving money, as spending less than I would in the US or Europe. This helps to avoid having to pay ridiculous prices for utilities and transport in other countries. If I know I will have to pay a lot for rent, I want to make sure I do so up front.
It’s also pretty easy to find local equivalents of your favourite casino bonus CA platforms, to further save money.
Rent Out Your House
You don’t have to do this as a full time job. But in order to save more money, it’s worth thinking about making a few hundred dollars more by renting out your house or apartment.
The apartment below is one that I managed to find while trying to save money on my accommodation, for example. I would rent this for just over $500 per month if I was to rent it out for the summer. This works out at just over $6 per day, or just over $2 per hour.
