Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellville and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellville and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Bellville versus $1,160 in Johannesburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,434 in Bellville versus $1,812 in Johannesburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,951 in Bellville versus $2,464 in Johannesburg.

Living in Bellville costs roughly 21% less than in Johannesburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bellville 31% lower, Johannesburg 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 R 182

$11.10 R 185

-1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.60 R 377

$45.36 R 756

-50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 R 82.9

$4.81 R 80.1

3.53%

Cappuccino

$1.83 R 30.45

$2.18 R 36.28

-16.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.33

$1.02 R 17.04

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.82

$0.82 R 13.61

8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 R 35.10

$2.70 R 44.90

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.33

$2.49 R 41.42

-0.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.91

$1.15 R 19.21

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.46

$1.09 R 18.14

-20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.30

$1.69 R 28.19

-13.61%

Eggs

$2.37 R 39.50

$2.55 R 42.40

-7.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 R 73.5

$8.24 R 137

-46.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 R 74.2

$4.78 R 79.7

-6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 R 124

$6.56 R 109

13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 R 18.04

$1.68 R 27.95

-35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.92

$1.54 R 25.60

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 R 17.88

$1.48 R 24.66

-27.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.14

$1.59 R 26.49

-31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 R 17.88

$1.44 R 24.01

-25.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.96

$1.39 R 23.17

-13.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R 12.56

$1.09 R 18.15

-31.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.92

$0.89 R 14.75

14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 R 42.18

$3.00 R 49.92

-15.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 R 98.8

$5.87 R 97.8

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.21

$1.31 R 21.89

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.43

$1.65 R 27.47

3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 27.18

$1.67 R 27.79

-2.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.49 R 341

$71.3 R 1,188

-71.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 R 9.74

$1.09 R 18.12

-46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 R 6.16

$0.89 R 14.80

-58.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 R 45.94

$4.09 R 68.1

-32.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 20.11

$1.27 R 21.17

-4.72%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.1K R 350.9K

$22.5K R 375.0K

-6.42%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.5K R 324.2K

$23.8K R 396.9K

-18.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$56.1 R 935

$119 R 1,981

-52.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.51 R 542

$41.09 R 684

-20.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.11 R 468

$42.46 R 707

-33.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 R 525

$34.18 R 569

-7.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 R 227

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 113

$7.42 R 124

-8.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$82.8 R 1,380

$209 R 3,481

-60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,367 R 89.4K

$4,974 R 82.9K

7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.34 R 422

$49.97 R 832

-49.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.00 R 183

$33.46 R 557

-67.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 R 1,400

$90.6 R 1,508

-7.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.0 R 833

$77.6 R 1,293

-35.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 5,987

$417 R 6,939

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R 5,590

$377 R 6,275

-10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 R 11.5K

$925 R 15.4K

-25.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 R 11.7K

$697 R 11.6K

0.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$885 R 14.7K

$1,020 R 17.0K

-13.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$655 R 10.9K

$760 R 12.7K

-13.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 R 28.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.51

2.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bellville: July 27, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Bellville and $417 in Johannesburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Bellville vs $45.00 in Johannesburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $183 per month, with Bellville cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bellville vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Johannesburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Bellville and $1,739 in Johannesburg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Bellville versus $417 in Johannesburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $918 in Bellville versus $1,160 in Johannesburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bellville and Johannesburg are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.