Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Bellville Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Bellville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Johannesburg versus $918 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,812 in Johannesburg versus $1,434 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Johannesburg versus $1,951 in Bellville.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 26% more expensive than in Bellville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 13% lower, Bellville 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 R 183

$10.90 R 179

1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 R 747

$22.60 R 372

100.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 R 79.2

$4.98 R 82.0

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 35.85

$1.83 R 30.09

19.13%

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

$1.02 R 16.84

$1.16 R 19.11

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.45

$0.89 R 14.64

-7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 R 44.37

$2.11 R 34.69

27.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.94

$2.48 R 40.84

0.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.98

$1.08 R 17.70

6.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.93

$0.87 R 14.29

25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.86

$1.46 R 24.01

15.75%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.91

$2.37 R 39.04

7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 R 136

$4.41 R 72.7

86.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 R 78.8

$4.46 R 73.4

7.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$7.43 R 122

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.62

$1.08 R 17.83

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.30

$1.44 R 23.64

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.37

$1.07 R 17.67

38.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.18

$1.09 R 17.92

45.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.73

$1.07 R 17.67

34.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 22.90

$1.20 R 19.73

15.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.93

$0.75 R 12.41

45.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.58

$1.02 R 16.72

-12.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 49.34

$2.53 R 41.68

18.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 R 96.7

$5.93 R 97.6

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.63

$1.03 R 17.00

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.15

$1.71 R 28.10

-3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 27.46

$1.63 R 26.86

2.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,174

$20.49 R 337

248.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 17.91

$0.58 R 9.62

87.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.63

$0.37 R 6.09

140.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.3

$2.76 R 45.40

48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.92

$1.21 R 19.87

4.96%

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

$22.5K R 370.5K

$21.1K R 346.7K

6.86%

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

$23.8K R 392.2K

$19.5K R 320.4K

22.42%

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

$119 R 1,958

$56.1 R 924

111.94%

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

$41.09 R 676

$32.51 R 535

26.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 R 699

$28.11 R 463

51.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.18 R 563

$31.50 R 519

8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 R 225

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 R 122

$6.78 R 112

9.44%

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

$209 R 3,440

$82.8 R 1,364

152.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,974 R 81.9K

$5,367 R 88.4K

-7.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 823

$25.34 R 417

97.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.46 R 551

$11.00 R 181

204.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 R 1,491

$84.0 R 1,383

7.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,278

$50.0 R 823

55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 R 6,857

$359 R 5,917

15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,201

$336 R 5,525

12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 R 15.2K

$689 R 11.3K

34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.5K

$701 R 11.5K

-0.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.8K

$885 R 14.6K

15.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 R 12.5K

$655 R 10.8K

15.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 R 27.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.77

-2.21%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bellville: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $417 in Johannesburg and $359 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $23.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $158 per month, with Bellville 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

Johannesburg vs Bellville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Johannesburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,739 in Johannesburg and $1,377 in Bellville 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: $417 in Johannesburg versus $359 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $918 in Bellville versus $1,160 in Johannesburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and Bellville 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 Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.