Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $978 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in East London
Learn more

East London Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index

Jump to prices

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$978

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in East London and in Johannesburg

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

A single person spends $978 per month in East London vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

East London $978
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in East London vs $2,195 in Johannesburg, rent included.

East London $1,499
Johannesburg $2,195

A family of three spends $2,020 per month in East London vs $2,983 in Johannesburg, rent included.

East London $2,020
Johannesburg $2,983

East London is about 30% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

East London sits 28% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.97 R 132

$11.88 R 197

-32.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.73 R 558

$44.83 R 742

-24.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 R 84.3

$7.40 R 122

-31.22%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 33.88

$2.45 R 40.50

-16.33%

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

$1.01 R 16.65

$1.23 R 20.31

-17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R 12.00

$0.92 R 15.28

-21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.86

$2.45 R 40.58

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 R 51.4

$2.74 R 45.33

13.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.50

$1.31 R 21.72

-14.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 R 15.05

$1.26 R 20.83

-27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$1.72 R 28.49

-15.12%

Eggs

$2.35 R 38.84

$2.63 R 43.57

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 R 139

$8.87 R 147

-5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 R 86.1

$5.68 R 93.9

-8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 R 131

$9.04 R 150

-12.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.84

$2.07 R 34.33

-15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.10

$1.91 R 31.55

-20.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.77

$1.83 R 30.21

-11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.05

$2.05 R 33.93

-23.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.89

$1.70 R 28.17

-0.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.57

$1.81 R 29.88

-21.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.41

$1.51 R 24.94

-18.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.75

$1.26 R 20.78

-19.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R 48.85

$3.50 R 58.0

-15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.88 R 80.8

$6.07 R 100

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 17.33

$1.80 R 29.82

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.03

$2.31 R 38.18

-58.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 R 1,501

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R 19.56

$0.82 R 13.61

43.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.21

$0.92 R 15.17

-45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.61 R 142

$14.30 R 237

-39.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 24.16

$1.52 R 25.11

-3.95%

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

$35.3K R 584.2K

$35.4K R 585.9K

-0.29%

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

$29.4K R 486.0K

$34.7K R 574.9K

-15.48%

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

$123 R 2,040

$228 R 3,770

-45.89%

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

$30.34 R 502

$38.51 R 637

-21.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.33 R 750

$38.02 R 629

19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 R 651

$35.33 R 585

11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.47 R 273

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 R 83.4

$8.47 R 140

-40.50%

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

$175 R 2,894

$247 R 4,087

-29.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,508 R 91.2K

$7,727 R 127.9K

-28.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 928

$58.1 R 962

-3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.59 R 539

$44.29 R 733

-26.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 R 1,216

$113 R 1,864

-34.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 R 1,569

$111 R 1,837

-14.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 R 3,933

$526 R 8,700

-54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R 4,890

$407 R 6,741

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 R 9,984

$1,091 R 18.1K

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 R 9,366

$900 R 14.9K

-37.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$481 R 7,954

$1,029 R 17.0K

-53.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$833 R 13.8K

$748 R 12.4K

11.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,442 R 23.9K

$1,750 R 29.0K

-17.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.91

3.85%

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

Last update for East London: November 2, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East London

$295 30.2%

Johannesburg

$407 29% 37.8% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East London

$199 20.4%

Johannesburg

$304 21.6% 53% $105

Groceries & Markets

East London

$185 18.9%

Johannesburg

$220 15.7% 19.3% $36

Eating Out

East London

$130 13.3%

Johannesburg

$173 12.3% 33.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

East London

$116 11.8%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 26.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

East London

$49 5.1%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 5.8% $2.9

Getting Around

East London

$3.7 * 0.4%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 2703% $99

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $238 in East London versus $526 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 21% 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 $34 in East London versus $45 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $220 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 East London

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

Same time as East London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,007

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.04 USD

100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.04 USD

100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

East London Johannesburg 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

East London
Johannesburg

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $978 in East London, $1,406 in Johannesburg – East London comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in East London and $2,110 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $238 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $978 in East London and $1,406 in Johannesburg. That makes East London about 30% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $175 per month in East London and $247 in Johannesburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Johannesburg at $1,406. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward East London – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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