Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Amersfoort Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Amersfoort

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,430 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,113 in Amersfoort, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,233 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,723 in Amersfoort, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,037 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,334 in Amersfoort, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Amersfoort, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Amersfoort is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.66 R 205

$9.40 R 152

34.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.32 R 798

$39.38 R 637

25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 R 120

$5.55 R 89.7

33.15%

Cappuccino

$2.61 R 42.22

$2.41 R 38.97

8.30%

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

$1.23 R 19.98

$1.11 R 18.01

10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 15.97

$0.87 R 14.13

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 R 34.97

$2.59 R 41.95

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R 44.53

$3.21 R 51.9

-14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R 21.90

$1.21 R 19.57

11.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.61

$1.12 R 18.05

13.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.02

$1.84 R 29.71

1.09%

Eggs

$2.68 R 43.34

$2.41 R 39.07

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 R 152

$4.45 R 72.0

111.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 R 92.3

$5.20 R 84.1

9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 R 143

$4.37 R 70.7

101.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 R 35.73

$1.87 R 30.28

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 31.70

$1.73 R 28.03

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.59

$1.80 R 29.05

1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 R 35.38

$1.67 R 26.95

31.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.72

$1.21 R 19.52

47.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.35

$1.21 R 19.50

55.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 R 24.81

$1.22 R 19.78

25.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.16

$1.33 R 21.54

-1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 R 54.2

$1.45 R 23.49

131.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 R 103

$1.98 R 32.07

221.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R 29.77

$1.57 R 25.33

17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 R 39.28

$2.02 R 32.64

20.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 R 35.26

$1.69 R 27.33

28.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.5 R 1,513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 R 15.84

$0.30 R 4.79

226.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.59

$0.79 R 12.74

13.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 R 242

$14.73 R 238

1.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 24.87

$1.56 R 25.31

-1.28%

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

$36.5K R 589.8K

$36.1K R 584.3K

0.95%

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

$33.0K R 533.3K

$34.5K R 558.7K

-4.55%

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

$229 R 3,704

$159 R 2,574

43.92%

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

$39.48 R 639

$37.59 R 608

5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.82 R 628

$37.74 R 611

2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 R 600

$34.80 R 563

6.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 R 292

Cinema Ticket

$8.36 R 135

$7.44 R 120

12.37%

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

$253 R 4,085

$272 R 4,395

-7.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,708 R 92.3K

$5,750 R 93.0K

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 R 958

$55.0 R 889

7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 R 780

$32.98 R 533

46.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,798

$96.7 R 1,564

14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,790

$85.3 R 1,379

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 R 8,376

$490 R 7,927

5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 R 6,999

$325 R 5,251

33.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 R 17.2K

$700 R 11.3K

51.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 R 14.6K

$702 R 11.4K

28.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,010 R 16.3K

$906 R 14.7K

11.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 R 12.7K

$694 R 11.2K

12.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 R 28.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.34

-3.79%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: September 8, 2026

Last update for Amersfoort: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Johannesburg versus $490 in Amersfoort. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Johannesburg versus $39.00 in Amersfoort. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $171 – making Amersfoort the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Johannesburg vs Amersfoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Amersfoort, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,145 per month in Johannesburg and $1,670 in Amersfoort. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Johannesburg and $39.00 in Amersfoort. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Johannesburg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amersfoort, where all-in costs run around $1,113, than in Johannesburg at $1,430. In Amersfoort it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amersfoort costs $1,113 versus $1,430 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Amersfoort. 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.