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: $1,149 in Johannesburg versus $890 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Johannesburg versus $1,397 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,470 in Johannesburg versus $1,904 in Bellville.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 29% more expensive than Bellville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 14% lower, Bellville 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 R 179

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.96 R 728

$22.03 R 357

104.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 R 80.7

$4.94 R 80.0

1.01%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.80

$1.81 R 29.27

25.41%

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

$1.04 R 16.78

$1.15 R 18.55

-9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.38

$0.89 R 14.44

-6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 43.61

$2.04 R 33.06

31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 41.44

$2.45 R 39.69

4.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$1.04 R 16.84

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.62

$0.81 R 13.06

34.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.81

$1.50 R 24.30

10.67%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.58

$2.48 R 40.16

-1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 138

$4.24 R 68.6

100.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 75.8

$4.34 R 70.3

7.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 R 106

$7.29 R 118

-10.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.06

$1.07 R 17.34

50.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.95

$1.43 R 23.17

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.86

$1.04 R 16.91

41.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.13

$1.10 R 17.79

46.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.43

$1.12 R 18.14

29.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.32

$1.23 R 19.83

17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 16.98

$0.70 R 11.31

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.43

$1.01 R 16.39

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.20

$2.58 R 41.81

17.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 98.1

$6.43 R 104

-5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.07

$0.99 R 16.03

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.83

$1.75 R 28.38

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$1.62 R 26.20

6.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 R 1,152

$20.26 R 328

251.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.67

$0.58 R 9.39

98.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.36

$0.39 R 6.33

128.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 R 64.3

$2.71 R 43.87

46.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.90

$1.25 R 20.27

-1.60%

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

$22.4K R 362.1K

$21.1K R 341.6K

6.00%

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

$24.2K R 392.3K

$19.5K R 316.2K

24.06%

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

$116 R 1,878

$56.0 R 907

107.03%

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

$40.82 R 661

$33.16 R 537

23.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 R 706

$27.80 R 450

56.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.86 R 548

$31.39 R 508

7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 R 222

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 116

$6.79 R 110

5.30%

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

$211 R 3,416

$85.5 R 1,384

146.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,976 R 80.5K

$5,368 R 86.9K

-7.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 813

$25.26 R 409

98.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.72 R 546

$11.01 R 178

206.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R 1,461

$83.1 R 1,344

8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,256

$51.0 R 825

52.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,827

$362 R 5,860

16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 5,925

$333 R 5,398

9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 R 15.0K

$682 R 11.0K

36.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 R 11.3K

$687 R 11.1K

1.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,072 R 17.4K

$968 R 15.7K

10.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 R 12.7K

$750 R 12.1K

4.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.1K

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Bellville: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Johannesburg and $362 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $22.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $156 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 29% 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 $1,724 in Johannesburg and $1,335 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: $422 in Johannesburg versus $362 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $22.00 versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Bellville versus $1,149 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 $890 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 29% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.