Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,139 in Centurion versus $1,179 in Johannesburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,860 in Centurion versus $1,810 in Johannesburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,580 in Centurion versus $2,442 in Johannesburg.

Living in Centurion costs roughly 3% less than in Johannesburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Centurion 15% lower, Johannesburg 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 R 171

$11.02 R 179

-4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.64 R 547

$45.02 R 732

-25.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 R 77.8

$4.91 R 79.8

-2.44%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.03

$2.27 R 36.89

-10.57%

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

$1.02 R 16.59

$0.99 R 16.06

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.77 R 12.58

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R 36.14

$2.63 R 42.79

-15.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.32

$2.53 R 41.12

-1.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.34

$1.19 R 19.26

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.19

$1.06 R 17.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.98

$1.70 R 27.59

-2.35%

Eggs

$2.43 R 39.47

$2.52 R 40.90

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 R 132

$8.36 R 136

-2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 R 78.7

$4.68 R 76.0

3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 R 108

$6.67 R 108

-0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.37

$1.68 R 27.25

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.06

$1.48 R 24.04

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.26

$1.49 R 24.28

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.71

$1.59 R 25.78

3.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 R 21.75

$1.43 R 23.19

-6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.59

$1.46 R 23.74

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.79

$1.06 R 17.21

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R 17.36

$0.88 R 14.26

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 R 49.69

$3.03 R 49.31

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 R 100

$6.11 R 99.3

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 R 23.47

$1.36 R 22.03

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.00

$1.67 R 27.13

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 R 35.50

$1.72 R 27.87

26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 R 1,479

$69.0 R 1,121

31.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.39

$1.10 R 17.88

2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.31

$0.95 R 15.37

12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 R 65.7

$4.07 R 66.1

-0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.25

$1.28 R 20.86

2.34%

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

$22.8K R 370.1K

$22.6K R 367.0K

0.86%

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

$24.3K R 395.1K

$24.4K R 395.9K

-0.21%

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

$120 R 1,951

$119 R 1,929

1.16%

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

$37.25 R 605

$39.96 R 649

-6.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.33 R 688

$43.32 R 704

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.89 R 681

$33.66 R 547

24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$0.93 R 15.13

$13.96 R 227

-93.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 R 125

$7.40 R 120

4.19%

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

$209 R 3,392

$206 R 3,354

1.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,282 R 69.6K

$4,959 R 80.6K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.86 R 810

$51.3 R 833

-2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.17 R 523

$34.03 R 553

-5.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 R 1,406

$91.9 R 1,493

-5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 R 1,433

$78.8 R 1,281

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 R 5,179

$419 R 6,817

-24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 R 5,352

$372 R 6,038

-11.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 R 8,567

$918 R 14.9K

-42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 R 13.1K

$718 R 11.7K

11.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,489

$1,063 R 17.3K

-50.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$591 R 9,611

$765 R 12.4K

-22.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,129 R 34.6K

$1,714 R 27.8K

24.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

11.51

1.56%

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

Last update for Centurion: May 31, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Centurion and $419 in Johannesburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Centurion vs $45.00 in Johannesburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $183, with Johannesburg cheaper for home cooking.

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

Centurion vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Johannesburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Centurion pays 24% more on average, 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: $319 in Centurion versus $419 in Johannesburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 32% less than in Johannesburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $209 in Centurion versus $206 in Johannesburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,139 in Centurion versus $1,179 in Johannesburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion 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 Centurion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.