🇿🇦 Retiring in South Africa
South Africa scores 74/100 on real healthcare coverage data and 2.2/100 on our safety percentile, with an estimated comfortable monthly cost of $630.
Healthcare (WHO index)
74/100
Universal Health Coverage Service Index
Safety percentile
2.2/100
Ranked by real homicide-rate data (OWID/UNODC)
Est. comfortable cost
$630/mo
1.3x local average earnings — a documented estimate
How this is calculated
The retirement score behind these numbers combines three real, disclosed inputs — real WHO healthcare-coverage data, a real safety percentile derived from homicide-rate statistics, and an estimated cost of living — never an AI guess or an invented statistic. Affordability itself depends on your own income and savings, so it isn't shown as a fixed score here — use the calculator below to see your own number.
Frequently asked questions
Is South Africa a good place to retire?
Based on real data: South Africa scores 74/100 on the WHO Universal Health Coverage index and 2.2/100 on our safety percentile (derived from OWID/UNODC homicide-rate data, ranked against every other country we track). An estimated comfortable monthly budget there is around $630, based on 1.3x the country's own average local earnings — a disclosed estimate, not a precise itemized cost of living.
How much does it cost to retire in South Africa?
Our estimate is about $630/month for a comfortable lifestyle, calculated as 1.3x South Africa's real average local earnings (ILOSTAT data). This is a documented assumption, not an itemized housing/food/healthcare budget — use the Lifestyle Explorer to see how far your own savings and income would actually go.
How is the retirement score calculated?
From three real, disclosed inputs: WHO's Universal Health Coverage Service Index (healthcare), a safety percentile derived from OWID/UNODC homicide-rate data (safety), and an affordability estimate relative to your own income and savings. No AI or invented numbers are used in the calculation itself.
Explore more about this country
Data: WHO Universal Health Coverage Index, OWID/UNODC homicide-rate statistics, ILOSTAT average earnings.