Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Cape Town 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Cape Town is 5.5% lower than in Johannesburg (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Cape Town is 6.4% higher than in Johannesburg | |
| Rent Prices in Cape Town are 51.9% higher than in Johannesburg | |
| Restaurant Prices in Cape Town are 6.4% lower than in Johannesburg | |
| Groceries Prices in Cape Town are 0.1% lower than in Johannesburg | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Cape Town is 6.1% higher than in Johannesburg | |
Restaurants | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 200.00 R | 175.00 R | -12.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 800.00 R | 750.00 R | -6.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 90.00 R | 90.00 R | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 45.00 R | 50.00 R | +11.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 45.00 R | 45.00 R | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 38.75 R | 36.51 R | -5.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 17.65 R | 19.47 R | +10.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 13.30 R | 14.03 R | +5.5 % |
Markets | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 79.00 R | 75.60 R | -4.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 17.68 R | 17.30 R | -2.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 13.76 R | 14.67 R | +6.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 46.26 R | 42.19 R | -8.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 67.10 R | 68.27 R | +1.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 39.08 R | 41.11 R | +5.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 53.07 R | 61.53 R | +15.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 13.31 R | 12.33 R | -7.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 12.37 R | 11.50 R | -7.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 12.11 R | 12.12 R | +0.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 13.14 R | 12.52 R | -4.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 11.76 R | 8.76 R | -25.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 11.58 R | 9.58 R | -17.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 18.85 R | 19.07 R | +1.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 16.31 R | 17.25 R | +5.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 100.00 R | 100.00 R | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 23.00 R | 24.19 R | +5.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 29.03 R | 30.52 R | +5.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 55.00 R | 55.00 R | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 34.00 R | 20.00 R | -41.2 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 1,500.00 R | 850.00 R | -43.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 20.00 R | 25.00 R | +25.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 29.77 R | 28.97 R | -2.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 71.00 R | 80.00 R | +12.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 85.51 R | 86.22 R | +0.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 370,000.00 R | 380,000.00 R | +2.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 430,907.50 R | 438,044.10 R | +1.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 2,111.06 R | 1,835.85 R | -13.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 695.45 R | 532.25 R | -23.5 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 762.25 R | 764.50 R | +0.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 621.82 R | 702.76 R | +13.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 262.50 R | 149.38 R | -43.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 140.00 R | 120.00 R | -14.3 % |
Childcare | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,982.61 R | 3,724.00 R | -6.5 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 95,314.29 R | 90,999.93 R | -4.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 899.91 R | 982.86 R | +9.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 635.16 R | 572.34 R | -9.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 1,595.45 R | 1,932.69 R | +21.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 1,404.50 R | 1,494.79 R | +6.4 % |
Rent Per Month | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 7,536.36 R | 13,580.65 R | +80.2 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 6,712.00 R | 9,206.90 R | +37.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 16,607.14 R | 25,346.15 R | +52.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 12,826.09 R | 18,213.33 R | +42.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,678.05 R | 3,158.69 R | +88.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,112.76 R | 2,139.08 R | +92.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Johannesburg Edit |
Cape Town Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 24,178.38 R | 27,297.93 R | +12.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.49 | 11.86 | +3.2 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 147 | 207 |
Moving to Cape Town? Explore:
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 |
Cities near Cape Town: | Cost of Living in Somerset West | 27.94 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paarl | 38.17 miles |