Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Johannesburg: $1,406 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Johannesburg versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Johannesburg $1,406
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,192 in Johannesburg versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Johannesburg $2,192
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in Johannesburg versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Johannesburg $2,978
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Johannesburg costs roughly 48% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Johannesburg 5% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 R 198

$20.22 $20.22

-40.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 R 731

$85.0 $85.0

-48.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 R 123

$12.35 $12.35

-40.00%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.89

$5.47 $5.47

-54.84%

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

$1.17 R 19.46

$3.82 $3.82

-69.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.49

$2.50 $2.50

-65.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.50

$8.06 $8.06

-71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R 46.10

$8.99 $8.99

-69.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.23

$1.13 $1.13

18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 R 20.51

$3.78 $3.78

-67.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.49

$3.25 $3.25

-45.23%

Eggs

$2.64 R 43.82

$4.14 $4.14

-36.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 R 140

$13.08 $13.08

-35.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 R 88.9

$14.31 $14.31

-62.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$15.96 $15.96

-47.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.94

$4.38 $4.38

-53.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.81

$1.45 $1.45

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.48

$4.54 $4.54

-59.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R 33.64

$4.19 $4.19

-51.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.38

$2.63 $2.63

-34.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.31

$2.36 $2.36

-22.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 R 23.46

$1.76 $1.76

-19.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.94

$2.16 $2.16

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 R 56.1

$9.81 $9.81

-65.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 R 99.3

$14.72 $14.72

-59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R 30.46

$2.78 $2.78

-33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.49

$3.48 $3.48

-29.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 R 34.02

$1.49 $1.49

37.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 R 1,485

$40.51 $40.51

120.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.65

$2.67 $2.67

-69.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.49

$1.58 $1.58

-41.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 R 243

$35.29 $35.29

-58.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.90

$0.99 $0.99

51.52%

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

$36.0K R 597.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

0.65%

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

$32.7K R 542.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

20.38%

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

$227 R 3,770

$219 $219

3.68%

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

$37.98 R 630

$58.0 $58.0

-34.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.49 R 605

$68.4 $68.4

-46.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 R 611

$57.9 $57.9

-36.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 R 288

$14.82 $14.82

17.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 R 130

$14.13 $14.13

-44.52%

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

$238 R 3,951

$1,509 $1,509

-84.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,563 R 92.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-74.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 R 972

$51.7 $51.7

13.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.52 R 772

$44.05 $44.05

5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,805

$85.1 $85.1

27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,747

$105 $105

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 R 8,220

$1,932 $1,932

-74.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,995

$1,272 $1,272

-66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 16.2K

$3,670 $3,670

-73.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 R 14.8K

$2,525 $2,525

-64.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$964 R 16.0K

$7,617 $7,617

-87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$3,199 $3,199

-76.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,755 R 29.1K

$5,105 $5,105

-65.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

6.79

60.68%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$422 29.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 202% $851

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$302 21.4%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 14.5% $44

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$216 15.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 86.8% $187

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$173 12.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 102% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$144 10.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 10.4% $15

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 44.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$53 3.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 64.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Johannesburg and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 191% 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: $44.00 in Johannesburg vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $403 per month, with Johannesburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

21:13 9:13 PM

7 h behind Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

974,447

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Johannesburg Austin, TX 14,740 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Johannesburg
Austin, TX

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

Johannesburg vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Johannesburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 191% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $496 in Johannesburg versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,406 per month in Johannesburg versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Johannesburg runs roughly 121% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,406 in Johannesburg versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Johannesburg but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Johannesburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Johannesburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,406 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Johannesburg hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Johannesburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.