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: $1,643 in Cape Town versus $1,107 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,522 in Cape Town versus $1,366 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,400 in Cape Town versus $1,624 in Benoni.

Living in Cape Town is roughly 48% more expensive than in Benoni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 19% above, Benoni is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 R 204

$10.51 R 169

20.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.67 R 800

$39.04 R 629

27.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 R 93.2

$5.91 R 95.2

-2.03%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R 41.44

$2.40 R 38.72

7.08%

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

$1.41 R 22.77

$1.22 R 19.58

15.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.19

$0.87 R 14.01

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 R 50.2

$2.25 R 36.19

38.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 59.0

$2.88 R 46.39

27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.39

$1.20 R 19.35

15.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.67

$1.12 R 18.03

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 34.90

$1.78 R 28.72

21.91%

Eggs

$3.19 R 51.3

$2.61 R 42.07

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 R 142

$8.60 R 139

2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 R 117

$5.12 R 82.4

42.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 R 154

$7.48 R 120

28.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R 31.57

$1.93 R 31.11

1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 R 32.39

$1.73 R 27.89

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.81

$1.85 R 29.86

-3.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.06

$1.68 R 27.05

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.08

$1.16 R 18.62

34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.72

$1.23 R 19.87

25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 21.75

$1.22 R 19.68

10.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.15

$1.36 R 21.86

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 R 60.6

$3.47 R 55.9

8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 R 100

$5.16 R 83.1

20.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.06

$1.57 R 25.30

-8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R 36.20

$2.05 R 33.05

9.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 R 1,000

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.68

$0.30 R 4.77

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R 25.56

$0.93 R 14.97

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 R 83.8

$14.83 R 239

-64.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 25.38

$1.49 R 24.00

6.04%

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

$37.5K R 604.2K

$37.0K R 595.6K

1.46%

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

$33.3K R 536.3K

$33.6K R 540.4K

-0.76%

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

$122 R 1,967

$206 R 3,323

-40.81%

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

$31.30 R 504

$38.13 R 614

-17.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.49 R 636

$38.27 R 616

3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 R 815

$18.41 R 296

174.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.87 R 191

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 R 147

$7.67 R 123

18.64%

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

$275 R 4,434

$252 R 4,053

9.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,638 R 106.9K

$5,665 R 91.2K

17.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R 950

$54.6 R 879

8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 R 551

$32.64 R 526

4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 R 2,009

$97.2 R 1,566

28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 R 1,760

$85.2 R 1,372

28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 R 17.1K

$405 R 6,515

162.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 R 11.9K

$311 R 5,012

137.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 R 30.0K

$503 R 8,094

271.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 R 22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 R 38.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,564 R 25.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,637 R 26.4K

$2,067 R 33.3K

-20.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

10.91

1.01%

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

Last update for Cape Town: September 8, 2026

Last update for Benoni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Cape Town and $405 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Cape Town vs $39.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $200 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,643 vs $1,107 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Benoni. 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: $1,063 in Cape Town versus $405 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,643 per month in Cape Town versus $1,107 in Benoni – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,107 in Benoni versus $1,643 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 48% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.