Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,051 per month in East London vs $1,160 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in East London vs $1,812 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,074 per month in East London vs $2,464 in Johannesburg, rent included.

East London is about 9% cheaper than Johannesburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both East London and Johannesburg are more affordable than the global median – East London 21% lower, Johannesburg 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 R 108

$11.10 R 184

-41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.53 R 505

$45.36 R 750

-32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 R 73.9

$4.81 R 79.5

-7.07%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R 34.48

$2.18 R 36.02

-4.59%

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

$1.01 R 16.64

$1.02 R 16.92

-0.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.22

$0.82 R 13.52

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 R 40.64

$2.70 R 44.59

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 R 50.3

$2.49 R 41.13

22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R 16.90

$1.15 R 19.08

-11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 R 15.01

$1.09 R 18.02

-16.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.36

$1.69 R 27.99

23.08%

Eggs

$2.05 R 33.89

$2.55 R 42.11

-19.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 R 155

$8.24 R 136

13.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 R 68.4

$4.78 R 79.1

-13.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 R 124

$6.56 R 109

13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.23

$1.68 R 27.75

-5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.96

$1.54 R 25.42

33.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.79

$1.48 R 24.49

-6.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.15

$1.59 R 26.31

-8.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.74

$1.44 R 23.84

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.61

$1.39 R 23.01

7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.09

$1.09 R 18.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.37

$0.89 R 14.65

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 R 43.40

$3.00 R 49.57

-12.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 R 76.9

$5.87 R 97.1

-20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.55

$1.31 R 21.73

32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.89

$1.65 R 27.28

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 R 11.19

$1.67 R 27.59

-59.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 R 364

$71.3 R 1,180

-69.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.90

$1.09 R 18.00

4.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.67

$0.89 R 14.70

6.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 67.4

$4.09 R 67.6

-0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 21.08

$1.27 R 21.02

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

$37.1K R 613.2K

$22.5K R 372.3K

64.71%

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

$22.3K R 368.9K

$23.8K R 394.1K

-6.40%

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

$196 R 3,243

$119 R 1,967

64.83%

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

$29.96 R 496

$41.09 R 680

-27.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.04 R 745

$42.46 R 702

6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 R 566

$34.18 R 565

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.38 R 22.75

$13.64 R 226

-89.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 R 60.9

$7.42 R 123

-50.40%

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

$117 R 1,936

$209 R 3,457

-43.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,123 R 68.2K

$4,974 R 82.3K

-17.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 R 865

$49.97 R 827

4.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.05 R 480

$33.46 R 553

-13.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 R 1,794

$90.6 R 1,498

19.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 R 1,442

$77.6 R 1,284

12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 R 4,315

$417 R 6,890

-37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R 4,902

$377 R 6,230

-21.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,362

$925 R 15.3K

-45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 R 9,281

$697 R 11.5K

-19.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 R 12.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 R 26.9K

$1,689 R 27.9K

-3.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

-4.43%

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

Last update for East London: July 27, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in East London versus $417 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 4% 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 $31.00 in East London versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in East London vs $183 in Johannesburg – so Johannesburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

East London vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,051 in East London, $1,160 in Johannesburg – roughly 10% apart. Johannesburg costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,576 per month in East London and $1,739 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $117 per month in East London and $209 in Johannesburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Johannesburg – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,051, than in Johannesburg at $1,160. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Johannesburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,051 in East London to $1,160 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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