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: $1,425 in Johannesburg versus $1,102 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,190 in Johannesburg versus $1,355 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Johannesburg versus $1,609 in Benoni.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Johannesburg is 4% above, Benoni is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 R 203

$10.26 R 168

21.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 R 791

$38.74 R 634

24.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R 119

$5.94 R 97.4

22.39%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R 41.20

$2.33 R 38.19

8.15%

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

$1.17 R 19.12

$1.20 R 19.58

-2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.89

$0.90 R 14.79

7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 36.88

$2.29 R 37.55

-1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 46.21

$2.76 R 45.14

2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.25

$1.19 R 19.52

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.99

$1.15 R 18.86

11.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.35

$1.73 R 28.25

3.47%

Eggs

$2.72 R 44.63

$2.50 R 41.02

8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 R 141

$8.10 R 133

6.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 R 94.4

$4.92 R 80.5

17.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.08 R 149

$7.21 R 118

25.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.13

$1.81 R 29.59

18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.08

$1.72 R 28.11

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.74

$1.84 R 30.13

2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 R 32.68

$1.66 R 27.13

19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.57

$1.20 R 19.63

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.00

$1.17 R 19.09

51.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 R 23.60

$1.26 R 20.58

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.32

$1.31 R 21.45

-0.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.4

$3.32 R 54.3

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 R 101

$5.26 R 86.2

17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 R 31.13

$1.61 R 26.36

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R 39.49

$1.96 R 32.02

22.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 R 34.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 R 1,496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.28

$0.32 R 5.27

190.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.48

$0.96 R 15.72

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 R 245

$14.89 R 244

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.64

$1.53 R 25.05

-1.96%

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

$36.9K R 603.7K

$36.0K R 589.0K

2.51%

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

$32.0K R 524.6K

$32.6K R 533.6K

-1.69%

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

$218 R 3,564

$204 R 3,339

6.73%

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

$38.57 R 632

$38.80 R 636

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.70 R 601

$38.16 R 625

-3.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 R 604

$18.56 R 304

98.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 R 285

Cinema Ticket

$8.52 R 140

$7.47 R 122

14.06%

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

$247 R 4,038

$245 R 4,019

0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,495 R 90.0K

$5,491 R 89.9K

0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 R 944

$53.8 R 881

7.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 R 783

$32.94 R 539

45.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,777

$93.0 R 1,523

16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,762

$83.7 R 1,371

28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,621

$403 R 6,603

30.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,233

$312 R 5,110

41.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 R 17.3K

$483 R 7,908

118.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 R 14.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 R 16.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 R 28.2K

$2,049 R 33.6K

-15.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

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

Last update for Johannesburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Benoni: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Johannesburg and $403 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: $48.00 in Johannesburg vs $39.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $195 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,425 vs $1,102 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Benoni. 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: $526 in Johannesburg versus $403 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,425 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,102 in Benoni – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Benoni versus $1,425 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 29% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.