Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Cape Town versus $1,125 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,983 in Cape Town versus $2,479 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,693 in Cape Town versus $3,832 in Benoni.

Living in Cape Town is roughly 13% more expensive than Benoni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cape Town 5% lower, Benoni 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$8.61 R 140

27.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 731

$33.95 R 552

32.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$4.89 R 79.4

0.41%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.49

$2.05 R 33.24

-2.44%

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

$1.10 R 17.94

$1.01 R 16.49

8.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.43

$0.80 R 12.95

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.56

$2.29 R 37.14

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.35

$2.55 R 41.40

-2.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.61

$1.14 R 18.46

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.59

$1.01 R 16.46

6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.38

$1.72 R 27.88

8.72%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.11

$2.38 R 38.60

3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 139

$7.65 R 124

12.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.5

$4.68 R 76.0

9.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 124

$6.41 R 104

19.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.24

$1.67 R 27.19

-10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.26

$1.48 R 24.11

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.49 R 24.22

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.85

$1.58 R 25.72

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.54

$1.32 R 21.53

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.16

$1.16 R 18.89

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.83

$1.09 R 17.64

0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.57

$0.90 R 14.60

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.33

$3.00 R 48.81

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 100

$5.10 R 82.8

21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.97

$1.36 R 22.16

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.23

$1.66 R 26.92

1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.17

$1.63 R 26.56

-42.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 779

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.43

$1.10 R 17.81

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.14

$0.89 R 14.52

4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 70.9

$3.14 R 51.0

38.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.33

$1.29 R 20.92

-3.10%

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

$21.3K R 346.9K

$22.7K R 368.6K

-5.90%

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

$24.5K R 397.5K

$23.6K R 383.8K

3.56%

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

$98.3 R 1,598

$124 R 2,023

-21.04%

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

$33.19 R 539

$40.70 R 661

-18.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 662

$43.34 R 704

-5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 677

$16.54 R 269

152.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$7.12 R 116

-8.01%

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

$211 R 3,435

$205 R 3,339

2.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.1K

$4,399 R 71.5K

20.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 906

$51.1 R 831

9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 533

$33.12 R 538

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,869

$91.2 R 1,482

26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,374

$78.8 R 1,280

7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.4K

$359 R 5,840

112.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,453

$432 R 7,025

20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.2K

$441 R 7,172

223.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$2,371 R 38.5K

-57.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.4K

$2,057 R 33.4K

-18.16%

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 Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for Benoni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $765 in Cape Town and $359 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Cape Town vs $34.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $176 per month, with Benoni 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

Cape Town vs Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Benoni differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,125 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Benoni earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $765 in Cape Town versus $359 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Cape Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Cape Town versus $1,125 in Benoni – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,125 in Benoni versus $1,273 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Benoni 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 Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.