Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Springs: $979 a month against $2,328 in Carlton, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Springs
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Springs Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Springs

🇿🇦 South Africa

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carlton and in Springs

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in Carlton versus $979 in Springs.

Carlton $2,328
Springs $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,353 in Carlton versus $1,582 in Springs.

Carlton $3,353
Springs $1,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Carlton versus $2,184 in Springs.

Carlton $4,379
Springs $2,184

Living in Carlton is roughly 138% more expensive than in Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 71% above, Springs is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 A$24.55

$9.15 R 152

89.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 A$97.9

$35.40 R 588

95.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.57

$5.18 R 86.0

98.46%

Cappuccino

$3.03 A$4.29

$2.19 R 36.44

38.36%

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

$2.70 A$3.83

$0.96 R 15.89

181.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.90

$0.67 R 11.05

205.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 A$9.47

$1.85 R 30.78

261.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 A$9.35

$2.13 R 35.43

209.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.84

$1.16 R 19.26

12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 A$2.94

$1.05 R 17.50

98.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.77 R 29.45

-21.47%

Eggs

$3.41 A$4.83

$2.41 R 39.97

41.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.73

$8.43 R 140

23.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.11

$5.00 R 83.0

99.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 A$21.16

$7.25 R 120

106.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.69

$1.28 R 21.29

158.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.91

$1.08 R 17.94

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.64

$1.71 R 28.40

91.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.76

$1.20 R 19.87

297.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.41

$1.06 R 17.60

127.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$1.17 R 19.37

85.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.19

$1.21 R 20.18

85.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.28

$0.74 R 12.26

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.30 A$35.84

$3.12 R 51.8

710.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 A$15.03

$4.03 R 66.9

163.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.57 A$7.89

$1.12 R 18.58

397.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.48

$1.71 R 28.39

208.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 A$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.20

$0.29 R 4.80

1165.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 A$1.75

$0.80 R 13.37

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.46 A$37.48

$14.37 R 239

84.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.83

$1.48 R 24.56

-12.84%

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

$18.2K A$25.8K

$35.6K R 591.4K

-48.78%

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

$14.0K A$19.9K

$32.7K R 543.5K

-57.07%

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

$93.2 A$132

$148 R 2,460

-37.09%

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

$28.34 A$40.14

$37.52 R 623

-24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.79 A$66.3

$35.28 R 586

32.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 A$45.12

$39.37 R 654

-19.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 A$25.36

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 A$19.06

$7.31 R 121

84.13%

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

$2,108 A$2,986

$89.2 R 1,481

2264.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.6K

$1,794 R 29.8K

591.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$113

$54.1 R 898

47.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.2

$31.78 R 528

60.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 A$98.7

$91.6 R 1,521

-23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$186

$82.0 R 1,363

60.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$1,997

$284 R 4,721

395.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,749

$275 R 4,571

348.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 A$3,145

$712 R 11.8K

212.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 A$2,602

$694 R 11.5K

164.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,665 A$8,025

$1,481 R 24.6K

282.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,543

$692 R 11.5K

567.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,904 A$8,364

$1,145 R 19.0K

415.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

10.75

-45.12%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Springs: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 53.1%

Springs

$275 28.1% 77.7% $960

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$340 14.6%

Springs

$173 17.7% 49.1% $167

Eating Out

Carlton

$272 11.7%

Springs

$135 13.8% 50.2% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$168 7.2%

Springs

$221 22.6% 31.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.4%

Springs

$117 11.9% 21.9% $33

Getting Around

Carlton

$105 4.5%

Springs

$4.3 * 0.4% 95.9% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$59 2.5%

Springs

$54 5.5% 8.2% $4.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,409 in Carlton and $284 in Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Carlton vs $35 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $173 per month, with Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇿🇦 Springs

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

08:51 8:51 AM

9 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

2,996

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.634 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlton Springs 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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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

Carlton vs Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,328 in Carlton and $979 in Springs, so Springs is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Carlton is about 5.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,409 in Carlton versus $284 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,108 in Carlton versus $89 in Springs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Springs – a meal for two runs $35 versus $69 in Carlton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Springs wins on affordability, Carlton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.