Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,105 a month against $1,430 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in George versus $1,430 in Johannesburg.

George $1,105
Johannesburg $1,430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in George versus $2,195 in Johannesburg.

George $1,834
Johannesburg $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,563 in George versus $2,960 in Johannesburg.

George $2,563
Johannesburg $2,960

Living in George costs roughly 23% less than in Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: George is 18% below, Johannesburg is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 179

$11.98 R 197

-9.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.26 R 680

$43.02 R 709

-4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 R 79.3

$7.12 R 117

-32.44%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 34.66

$2.41 R 39.72

-12.86%

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

$1.06 R 17.47

$1.17 R 19.21

-9.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.63

$0.93 R 15.30

-17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 R 44.76

$2.25 R 37.03

20.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 R 52.8

$2.76 R 45.49

15.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R 18.55

$1.31 R 21.59

-13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$1.28 R 21.12

-18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.63

$1.72 R 28.37

-16.86%

Eggs

$2.80 R 46.05

$2.63 R 43.34

6.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$8.47 R 140

-1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 R 89.8

$5.47 R 90.0

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 R 110

$8.80 R 145

-24.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.49

$2.12 R 34.89

-24.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.19

$1.79 R 29.45

-17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.33

$1.85 R 30.47

-16.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.44

$2.12 R 34.99

-18.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.89

$1.74 R 28.61

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.41

$1.83 R 30.09

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.53

$1.43 R 23.53

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.99

$1.33 R 21.99

-27.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 R 52.4

$3.30 R 54.3

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 R 77.8

$5.91 R 97.3

-20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 20.09

$1.81 R 29.89

-32.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.48

$2.49 R 40.95

-30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.37

$2.01 R 33.11

-23.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.77 R 457

$89.9 R 1,481

-69.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 R 9.50

$0.83 R 13.62

-30.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R 7.67

$0.89 R 14.70

-47.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 R 138

$14.42 R 238

-41.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.03

$1.49 R 24.51

-18.12%

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

$29.7K R 488.9K

$35.2K R 579.4K

-15.62%

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

$29.4K R 483.7K

$32.5K R 534.9K

-9.57%

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

$121 R 1,995

$233 R 3,841

-48.07%

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

$17.44 R 287

$37.52 R 618

-53.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.19 R 745

$36.32 R 598

24.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.75 R 490

$36.44 R 600

-18.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.64 R 175

$17.23 R 284

-38.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 R 100

$7.66 R 126

-20.63%

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

$137 R 2,263

$246 R 4,048

-44.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,187 R 85.5K

$5,533 R 91.2K

-6.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 R 1,177

$58.4 R 963

22.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 R 625

$45.21 R 745

-16.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R 1,845

$110 R 1,817

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 R 1,413

$105 R 1,734

-18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,956

$493 R 8,127

-14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,010

$435 R 7,160

-16.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 R 12.7K

$985 R 16.2K

-21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 R 15.3K

$896 R 14.8K

3.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$871 R 14.4K

$967 R 15.9K

-9.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 R 10.7K

$746 R 12.3K

-12.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,364 R 22.5K

$1,738 R 28.6K

-21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

10.91

0.09%

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

Last update for George: October 13, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George

$365 33%

Johannesburg

$435 30.4% 19.1% $70

Groceries & Markets

George

$186 16.8%

Johannesburg

$218 15.3% 17.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George

$184 16.6%

Johannesburg

$307 21.5% 67.1% $123

Eating Out

George

$154 13.9%

Johannesburg

$171 12% 11.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

George

$138 12.5%

Johannesburg

$144 10.1% 3.9% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

George

$42 3.8%

Johannesburg

$52 3.6% 23.5% $9.9

Getting Around

George

$37 3.3%

Johannesburg

$103 7.2% 180% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in George and $493 in Johannesburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johannesburg pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in George vs $43.00 in Johannesburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $218 per month, with George cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 George

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as George

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,580

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

George Johannesburg 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

George
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

George vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Johannesburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $422 in George versus $493 in Johannesburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $43.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,105 per month in George versus $1,430 in Johannesburg – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,105 in George versus $1,430 in Johannesburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Johannesburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, George 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 George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.