Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloemfontein and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Bloemfontein: $1,061 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Bloemfontein
Learn more

Bloemfontein Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Bloemfontein

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,061

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bloemfontein and in Johannesburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bloemfontein and in Johannesburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Bloemfontein vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Bloemfontein $1,061
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $1,674 per month in Bloemfontein vs $2,195 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Bloemfontein $1,674
Johannesburg $2,195

A family of three spends $2,287 per month in Bloemfontein vs $2,983 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Bloemfontein $2,287
Johannesburg $2,983

Bloemfontein is about 25% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bloemfontein sits 22% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.84 R 197

$11.88 R 197

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.31 R 686

$44.83 R 745

-7.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 R 116

$7.40 R 123

-5.41%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R 34.41

$2.45 R 40.64

-15.51%

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

$1.44 R 23.92

$1.23 R 20.38

17.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 R 17.84

$0.92 R 15.33

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.79

$2.45 R 40.72

5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.82

$2.74 R 45.48

0.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 17.08

$1.31 R 21.79

-21.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.69

$1.26 R 20.90

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 R 35.22

$1.72 R 28.58

23.26%

Eggs

$2.17 R 35.97

$2.63 R 43.71

-17.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.67 R 127

$8.87 R 147

-13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 R 80.2

$5.68 R 94.3

-14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 R 126

$9.04 R 150

-15.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.24

$2.07 R 34.45

-9.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.87

$1.91 R 31.65

-18.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.89

$1.83 R 30.31

-4.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.99

$2.05 R 34.04

-23.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.03

$1.70 R 28.27

-7.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.70

$1.81 R 29.98

2.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.10

$1.51 R 25.03

-27.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.96

$1.26 R 20.85

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 R 42.24

$3.50 R 58.2

-27.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 R 78.2

$6.07 R 101

-22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.99

$1.80 R 29.92

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.54

$2.31 R 38.31

-41.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 R 15.13

$1.62 R 26.94

-43.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.5 R 1,254

$90.7 R 1,506

-16.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.38

$0.82 R 13.66

35.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R 15.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.30 R 237

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 24.19

$1.52 R 25.19

-3.95%

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

$36.3K R 602.9K

$35.4K R 587.9K

2.56%

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

$29.4K R 488.4K

$34.7K R 576.9K

-15.33%

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

$76.6 R 1,272

$228 R 3,783

-66.38%

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

$33.40 R 555

$38.51 R 640

-13.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.15 R 534

$38.02 R 631

-15.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.41 R 522

$35.33 R 587

-11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.47 R 274

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 R 81.8

$8.47 R 141

-41.79%

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

$192 R 3,194

$247 R 4,101

-22.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,727 R 128.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R 980

$58.1 R 965

1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.91 R 713

$44.29 R 735

-3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 R 2,233

$113 R 1,871

19.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,839

$111 R 1,844

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 R 5,304

$526 R 8,729

-39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 R 4,728

$407 R 6,763

-30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 R 8,549

$1,091 R 18.1K

-52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 R 8,914

$900 R 14.9K

-40.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$477 R 7,924

$1,029 R 17.1K

-53.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$622 R 10.3K

$748 R 12.4K

-16.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 R 22.0K

$1,750 R 29.1K

-24.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.13

10.91

11.18%

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

Last update for Bloemfontein: October 31, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bloemfontein

$285 26.8%

Johannesburg

$407 29% 43.1% $123

Groceries & Markets

Bloemfontein

$187 17.6%

Johannesburg

$220 15.7% 17.7% $33

Eating Out

Bloemfontein

$169 15.9%

Johannesburg

$173 12.3% 2.3% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bloemfontein

$156 14.7%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 6.1% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bloemfontein

$142 13.4%

Johannesburg

$304 21.6% 114% $162

Getting Around

Bloemfontein

$80 * 7.6%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 27.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Bloemfontein

$41 3.9%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 26.7% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $319 in Bloemfontein versus $526 in Johannesburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Johannesburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Bloemfontein versus $45 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $220 – making Bloemfontein the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Bloemfontein

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

Same time as Bloemfontein

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000 Capital

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bloemfontein Johannesburg 370 km

From you

Bloemfontein
Johannesburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bloemfontein vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 33% more than Bloemfontein, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,591 per month in Bloemfontein and $2,110 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $319 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Johannesburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Bloemfontein and $45 in Johannesburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,061 in Bloemfontein and $1,406 in Johannesburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bloemfontein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.