Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Johannesburg 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Johannesburg is 4.9% higher than in Cape Town (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Johannesburg is 7.1% lower than in Cape Town | |
| Rent Prices in Johannesburg are 35.5% lower than in Cape Town | |
| Restaurant Prices in Johannesburg are 4.6% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Groceries Prices in Johannesburg are 0.3% lower than in Cape Town | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Johannesburg is 3.8% lower than in Cape Town | |
Restaurants | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 175.00 R | 200.00 R | +14.3 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 800.00 R | 800.00 R | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 90.00 R | 90.00 R | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 50.00 R | 45.00 R | -10.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 45.00 R | 45.00 R | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 36.46 R | 39.00 R | +7.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 20.03 R | 18.00 R | -10.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 14.59 R | 13.94 R | -4.5 % |
Markets | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 76.60 R | 78.04 R | +1.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 17.24 R | 17.58 R | +2.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 14.89 R | 13.76 R | -7.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 43.25 R | 46.26 R | +7.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 70.01 R | 67.40 R | -3.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 40.74 R | 39.08 R | -4.1 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 60.54 R | 53.07 R | -12.3 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 12.70 R | 13.21 R | +4.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 11.59 R | 12.23 R | +5.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 12.12 R | 12.11 R | -0.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 12.52 R | 13.21 R | +5.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 8.55 R | 11.83 R | +38.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 9.58 R | 11.48 R | +19.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 19.04 R | 18.92 R | -0.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 17.19 R | 16.31 R | -5.1 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 95.00 R | 100.00 R | +5.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 24.86 R | 23.00 R | -7.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 30.45 R | 28.99 R | -4.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 55.00 R | 55.00 R | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 17.00 R | 34.50 R | +102.9 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 850.00 R | 1,500.00 R | +76.5 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 R | 20.00 R | -20.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 28.97 R | 26.55 R | -8.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 80.00 R | 71.00 R | -11.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 85.50 R | 85.51 R | +0.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 380,000.00 R | 384,500.00 R | +1.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 442,046.10 R | 416,744.74 R | -5.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 1,848.29 R | 2,111.06 R | +14.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 555.50 R | 695.45 R | +25.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 747.28 R | 765.28 R | +2.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 707.86 R | 621.82 R | -12.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 151.33 R | 262.50 R | +73.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 120.00 R | 140.00 R | +16.7 % |
Childcare | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,724.00 R | 3,981.82 R | +6.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 93,769.15 R | 97,695.24 R | +4.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 982.86 R | 899.91 R | -8.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 579.92 R | 629.16 R | +8.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 1,956.00 R | 1,595.45 R | -18.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 1,483.30 R | 1,404.50 R | -5.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 13,603.45 R | 7,536.36 R | -44.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 9,250.00 R | 6,700.00 R | -27.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 25,960.00 R | 16,360.00 R | -37.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 18,459.26 R | 12,826.09 R | -30.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 3,210.95 R | 1,678.05 R | -47.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 2,243.74 R | 1,089.28 R | -51.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | Cape Town Edit |
Johannesburg Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 27,054.67 R | 24,156.93 R | -10.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.84 | 11.49 | -3.0 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 197 | 150 |
Moving to Cape Town? Explore:
Cities near Cape Town: | Cost of Living in Somerset West | 27.94 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paarl | 38.17 miles |
Cities near Johannesburg: | Cost of Living in Randburg | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sandton | 13.65 miles |
| Cost of Living in Boksburg | 15.07 miles |
| Cost of Living in Benoni | 19.17 miles |
| Cost of Living in Krugersdorp | 20.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in Centurion (Verwoerdburg) | 28.17 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springs | 30.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Westonaria | 34.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pretoria | 36.05 miles |
| Cost of Living in Vanderbijlpark | 44.06 miles |