Juba vs Port Elizabeth: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Port Elizabeth costs roughly 0% less than Juba. The cost gap makes Port Elizabeth the stronger pick for financial independence. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Juba is approximately 5.8x more expensive than Port Elizabeth based on cost of living including rent. This makes Port Elizabeth a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Port Elizabeth has a FIRE Score of 74/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 51, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Port Elizabeth is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Juba
Juba is one of the hardest sells in the expat world: a safety index of 30/100, a crime index of 70/100, poor healthcare, and 5 Mbps internet make daily life a grind, and the 35/100 overall expat score reflects that. The rent data is a mess, with a 1-bedroom in the center at $3,500/mo costing more than a 3-bedroom in the same center at $1,800/mo, so anyone moving here should verify listings in person before signing anything. Add a $350/mo gym membership and $115 for a mid-range dinner for two, and you are paying first-world prices for a city where the average net salary is $1,770/mo. Unless you are on a hardship posting with a generous package, Juba is a place to endure, not to settle.
About South Sudan
Retirees and remote workers should look elsewhere: a Level 4 do-not-travel advisory (the highest warning) and $3,500/mo center-city rent make this untenable for lifestyle-driven relocation. With no retirement or nomad visa, very low political stability, and a 22.8 healthcare index (Numbeo), this fits only aid workers or diplomats on hardship postings, not FIRE-focused expats.
$800/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth is a genuinely affordable coastal pick, with a 1-bedroom in the center at $602/mo and a comfortable single lifestyle running $3,200/mo, all against a cost of living index of 48/100. The catch is income: the average monthly net salary of $1,599/mo makes the budget tier at $1,050/mo the realistic landing spot for most locals, not the comfortable one. A safety index of 51/100 and a crime index of 49/100 mean you should choose your neighborhood deliberately, with Humewood and Summerstrand the established expat choices. Retirees on the South Africa Retired Person Visa need $2,050/mo and digital nomads need $2,950/mo, so bring foreign income rather than a local paycheck.
About South Africa
Safety is the dealbreaker: a 25.3 safety index puts South Africa firmly in caution territory, with the advisory level of 2 underscoring that. Retirees on fixed budgets should look past this for the math: $2,050/mo qualifies for the retirement visa, while rent runs under $500/mo in city centers. Low cost, low safety, weigh accordingly.
$1,100/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
Scroll to compare
| Metric | Juba | Port Elizabeth |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $3500 | $602.08 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $2700 | $420.62 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $1800 | $808.19 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $1100 | $688.31 |
| Safety Index | 30 | 51 |
| Internet Speed | 5Mbps | 54Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Planning a move to Port Elizabeth? Make sure you have the right visa.
Answer 11 questions and get a personalized visa match in under 2 minutes.
Find my visa →Compare any two visa routes.
Income thresholds, fees, processing time and residency paths, side by side. Search by country, including South Africa and South Sudan.
Compare visas →Explore South Africa
Juba vs Port Elizabeth -- Frequently Asked Questions
Click any question to expand the answer.
Resources for Moving to Port Elizabeth
Find hotels in Port Elizabeth
Search and compare hotel prices across hundreds of booking sites.
Search hotels →Short-term rentals in Port Elizabeth
Browse vacation rentals while you scout neighborhoods for a long-term lease.
Browse rentals →eSIM for Port Elizabeth
Get connected the moment you land. No physical SIM needed.
Get eSIM →VPN for secure browsing in Port Elizabeth
Protect your data and access geo-restricted content while traveling.
Get NordVPN →