Cost of Living Comparison Between Howick and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Howick and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Howick versus $1,430 in Johannesburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Howick versus $2,233 in Johannesburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,312 in Howick versus $3,037 in Johannesburg.

Living in Howick costs roughly 23% less than in Johannesburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Howick is 21% below, Johannesburg is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 R 123

$12.66 R 204

-39.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.44 R 635

$49.32 R 794

-20.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 R 91.4

$7.39 R 119

-23.14%

Cappuccino

$2.85 R 45.84

$2.61 R 42.02

9.20%

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

$1.13 R 18.22

$1.23 R 19.89

-8.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.25

$0.99 R 15.90

-4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 R 41.41

$2.16 R 34.81

18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 R 41.92

$2.75 R 44.33

-5.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.19

$1.35 R 21.80

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.23

$1.27 R 20.51

-15.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.18

$1.86 R 29.88

-16.13%

Eggs

$2.46 R 39.64

$2.68 R 43.15

-8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 R 138

$9.39 R 151

-8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 R 86.2

$5.71 R 91.9

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 117

$8.81 R 142

-17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 R 32.26

$2.21 R 35.56

-9.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 R 31.98

$1.96 R 31.56

1.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.01

$1.83 R 29.45

12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.64

$2.19 R 35.21

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.70

$1.78 R 28.59

-10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.44

$1.88 R 30.22

-22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.28

$1.53 R 24.70

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R 19.96

$1.31 R 21.06

-5.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 R 61.6

$3.35 R 53.9

14.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 80.7

$6.36 R 102

-21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.52

$1.84 R 29.64

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R 31.96

$2.43 R 39.10

-18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 R 26.60

$2.18 R 35.10

-24.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.5 R 1,506

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 R 7.93

$0.98 R 15.77

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.34

$0.90 R 14.52

-14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 R 128

$14.96 R 241

-46.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.37

$1.54 R 24.75

-9.74%

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

$36.6K R 588.8K

$36.5K R 587.1K

0.29%

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

$32.8K R 528.1K

$33.0K R 530.8K

-0.52%

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

$143 R 2,307

$229 R 3,687

-37.43%

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

$15.71 R 253

$39.48 R 636

-60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 R 648

$38.82 R 625

3.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 R 489

$37.11 R 598

-18.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 R 291

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R 114

$8.36 R 135

-15.07%

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

$325 R 5,236

$253 R 4,067

28.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,921 R 127.6K

$5,708 R 91.9K

38.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 R 907

$59.2 R 953

-4.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.93 R 498

$48.22 R 776

-35.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,621

$111 R 1,789

-9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 R 1,441

$111 R 1,782

-19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 R 6,234

$518 R 8,338

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R 6,289

$433 R 6,967

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 R 13.4K

$1,062 R 17.1K

-21.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.1K

$901 R 14.5K

-16.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 R 16.4K

$1,010 R 16.3K

0.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$667 R 10.7K

$784 R 12.6K

-14.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 R 28.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

10.91

8.25%

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

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Howick and $518 in Johannesburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Howick vs $49.00 in Johannesburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $226 per month, with Howick cheaper across the board.

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

Howick vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,644 in Howick and $2,145 in Johannesburg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Howick versus $518 in Johannesburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Howick versus $253 in Johannesburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $49.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,430 in Johannesburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick 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, Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.