Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Johannesburg versus $1,121 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Johannesburg versus $1,638 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,470 in Johannesburg versus $2,155 in Benoni.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 3% more expensive than Benoni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 14% lower, Benoni 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 R 179

$8.60 R 139

28.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.96 R 728

$34.15 R 553

31.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 R 80.7

$4.67 R 75.7

6.85%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.80

$2.12 R 34.24

7.08%

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

$1.04 R 16.78

$1.07 R 17.29

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.38

$0.79 R 12.76

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 43.61

$2.19 R 35.47

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 41.44

$2.50 R 40.42

2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$1.20 R 19.45

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.62

$1.02 R 16.51

6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.81

$1.70 R 27.48

-2.35%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.58

$2.41 R 39.07

1.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 138

$7.82 R 127

8.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 75.8

$4.68 R 75.7

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 R 106

$6.48 R 105

0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.06

$1.67 R 27.03

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.95

$1.48 R 23.95

4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.86

$1.54 R 24.85

-4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.13

$1.59 R 25.80

1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.43

$1.37 R 22.23

5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.32

$1.21 R 19.62

19.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 16.98

$1.08 R 17.52

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.43

$0.96 R 15.46

-7.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.20

$3.00 R 48.63

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 98.1

$5.34 R 86.5

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.07

$1.35 R 21.81

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.83

$1.65 R 26.64

0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$1.61 R 26.07

6.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 R 1,152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.67

$1.10 R 17.79

4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.36

$0.91 R 14.72

-2.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 R 64.3

$3.07 R 49.64

29.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.90

$1.22 R 19.73

0.82%

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

$22.4K R 362.1K

$22.2K R 359.7K

0.67%

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

$24.2K R 392.3K

$23.5K R 380.1K

3.21%

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

$116 R 1,878

$125 R 2,019

-7.00%

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

$40.82 R 661

$41.08 R 665

-0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 R 706

$42.66 R 691

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.86 R 548

$16.84 R 273

101.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 R 222

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 116

$7.29 R 118

-1.92%

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

$211 R 3,416

$210 R 3,401

0.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,976 R 80.5K

$4,261 R 69.0K

16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 813

$50.2 R 812

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.72 R 546

$33.41 R 541

0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R 1,461

$90.1 R 1,458

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,256

$78.0 R 1,262

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,827

$363 R 5,868

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 5,925

$427 R 6,918

-14.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 R 15.0K

$444 R 7,181

109.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 R 11.3K

$707 R 11.4K

-1.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,072 R 17.4K

$879 R 14.2K

22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 R 12.7K

$705 R 11.4K

10.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.1K

$2,069 R 33.5K

-16.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

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

Last update for Johannesburg: June 14, 2026

Last update for Benoni: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Johannesburg and $363 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $34.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $179 per month, with Benoni 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 Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg and Benoni differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,121 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Benoni earns 19% less. 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: $422 in Johannesburg versus $363 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,149 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,121 in Benoni – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,121 in Benoni versus $1,149 in Johannesburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and Benoni 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 Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.