cost
Cost of Living Index
South Africa89.8 / 0
Finland70.9 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Finland leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Finland leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | South Africa | 89.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Finland | 70.9 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | South Africa | 77.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Finland | 77.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | South Africa | $2,607 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Finland | $3,019 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | South Africa | 13.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Finland | 10.0x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | South Africa | $522/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Finland | $4,429/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | South Africa | 32.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Finland | 9.5% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | South Africa | 62.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Finland | 82.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | South Africa | 73.5 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Finland | 73.7 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Finland wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to South Africa.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
South Africa leads safety, rent, and environment; Finland leads cost, housing, and salary.
cost
South Africa
89.8
Finland
70.9
safety
South Africa
77.3
Finland
77.1
housing
South Africa
$2,607
Finland
$3,019
housing
South Africa
13.9x
Finland
10.0x
jobs
South Africa
$522/mo
Finland
$4,429/mo
jobs
South Africa
32.4%
Finland
9.5%
health
South Africa
62.5
Finland
82.6
health
South Africa
73.5 years
Finland
73.7 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
South Africa
1.2%
Finland
0.6%
education
South Africa
76.2
Finland
51.6
transport
South Africa
71.3
Finland
59.5
safety
South Africa
43.7 per 100k
Finland
1.0 per 100k
safety
South Africa
61.0 per 100k
Finland
41.7 per 100k
health
South Africa
13.5%
Finland
18.5%
quality
South Africa
8
Finland
8.1
housing
South Africa
$1,704/sqm
Finland
$10,638/sqm
religion
South Africa
77.3%
Finland
89.9%
religion
South Africa
76.2%
Finland
21.0%
religion
South Africa
48.4%
Finland
35.9%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.