Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fourways and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Fourways: $1,031 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Fourways
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Fourways Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Fourways

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,031

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fourways 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 Fourways and in Johannesburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Fourways vs $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Fourways $1,031
Johannesburg $1,410

A couple spends around $1,591 per month in Fourways vs $2,182 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Fourways $1,591
Johannesburg $2,182

A family of three spends $2,151 per month in Fourways vs $2,954 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Fourways $2,151
Johannesburg $2,954

Fourways is about 27% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Fourways sits 24% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.11 R 152

$11.92 R 199

-23.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.79 R 615

$44.33 R 741

-17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 R 88.9

$7.42 R 124

-28.30%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 36.42

$2.39 R 39.91

-8.79%

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

$1.02 R 17.09

$1.21 R 20.27

-15.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.47

$0.96 R 15.98

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 R 39.30

$2.42 R 40.48

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 45.79

$2.67 R 44.53

2.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.45

$1.29 R 21.61

-10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 R 18.75

$1.19 R 19.95

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.86

$1.70 R 28.48

-1.76%

Eggs

$2.40 R 40.13

$2.75 R 45.95

-12.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 R 126

$8.68 R 145

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 R 72.8

$5.56 R 93.0

-21.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.02 R 117

$8.92 R 149

-21.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 R 23.13

$2.08 R 34.73

-33.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.61

$1.81 R 30.26

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.43

$1.73 R 28.94

1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.75

$2.10 R 35.10

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.73

$1.70 R 28.47

-34.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 20.25

$1.79 R 29.83

-32.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.41

$1.49 R 24.90

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 18.23

$1.23 R 20.62

-11.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 R 53.3

$3.48 R 58.2

-8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 83.7

$6.10 R 102

-17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.48

$1.86 R 31.13

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 32.74

$2.40 R 40.08

-18.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,487

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.78

$0.81 R 13.58

-64.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 13.40

$0.87 R 14.51

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.28 R 239

$14.32 R 239

-0.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 R 26.02

$1.53 R 25.54

1.96%

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

$28.7K R 479.4K

$35.5K R 592.5K

-19.09%

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

$26.7K R 446.1K

$34.0K R 568.3K

-21.50%

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

$87.3 R 1,458

$224 R 3,737

-60.99%

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

$36.98 R 618

$39.12 R 654

-5.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.87 R 616

$36.93 R 617

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 R 544

$35.49 R 593

-8.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 R 272

$17.43 R 291

-6.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 R 119

$8.29 R 138

-14.11%

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

$256 R 4,277

$240 R 4,007

6.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,815 R 130.6K

$5,471 R 91.4K

42.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 R 886

$58.0 R 969

-8.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.76 R 531

$44.96 R 751

-29.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 R 1,290

$111 R 1,860

-30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 R 1,409

$113 R 1,880

-25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 R 6,446

$526 R 8,793

-26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 R 6,463

$419 R 7,009

-7.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 R 12.4K

$1,099 R 18.4K

-32.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 R 11.8K

$885 R 14.8K

-20.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,572 R 26.3K

$1,709 R 28.6K

-8.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.91

3.94%

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

Last update for Fourways: October 24, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fourways

$387 37.5%

Johannesburg

$419 29.8% 8.4% $33

Groceries & Markets

Fourways

$181 17.6%

Johannesburg

$218 15.5% 20.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fourways

$161 15.6%

Johannesburg

$300 21.3% 86% $139

Eating Out

Fourways

$140 13.5%

Johannesburg

$172 12.2% 23.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Fourways

$111 10.8%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 32.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Fourways

$47 4.5%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 11.2% $5.3

Getting Around

Fourways

$4.3 * 0.4%

Johannesburg

$101 7.2% 2256% $97

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Fourways 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 9% 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 $37 in Fourways versus $44 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $218 – making Fourways the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Fourways

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Fourways

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Fourways Johannesburg 23 km

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Fourways
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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

Fourways vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 37% more than Fourways, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Fourways and $2,115 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fourways, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Fourways and $44 in Johannesburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Johannesburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,031 in Fourways and $1,410 in Johannesburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fourways costs $1,031 versus $1,410 in Johannesburg. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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