Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Bloemfontein

For one person, living is cheaper in Bloemfontein: $1,061 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Bloemfontein
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Bloemfontein Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Bloemfontein

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Bloemfontein

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 Bloemfontein actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,061 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,406
Bloemfontein $1,061

A couple spends around $2,180 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,674 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,180
Bloemfontein $1,674

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,287 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,954
Bloemfontein $2,287

Johannesburg costs about 33% more than Bloemfontein, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Johannesburg sits 3% above the global median, while Bloemfontein is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 R 197

$11.84 R 197

0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 R 745

$41.31 R 686

8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 R 123

$7.00 R 116

5.71%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R 40.64

$2.07 R 34.41

18.36%

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

$1.23 R 20.38

$1.44 R 23.92

-14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.33

$1.07 R 17.84

-14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 R 40.72

$2.58 R 42.79

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 45.48

$2.76 R 45.82

-0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.79

$1.03 R 17.08

27.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R 20.90

$1.07 R 17.69

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.58

$2.12 R 35.22

-18.87%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.71

$2.17 R 35.97

21.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R 147

$7.67 R 127

15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 R 94.3

$4.83 R 80.2

17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 R 150

$7.60 R 126

18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R 34.45

$1.88 R 31.24

10.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.65

$1.56 R 25.87

22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.31

$1.74 R 28.89

5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R 34.04

$1.57 R 25.99

30.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.27

$1.57 R 26.03

8.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.98

$1.85 R 30.70

-2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 25.03

$1.09 R 18.10

38.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.96 R 15.96

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 R 58.2

$2.54 R 42.24

37.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 R 101

$4.71 R 78.2

28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.92

$1.81 R 29.99

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 R 38.31

$1.36 R 22.54

69.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.94

$0.91 R 15.13

78.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 R 1,506

$75.5 R 1,254

20.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.66

$1.11 R 18.38

-26.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R 15.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.30 R 237

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 25.19

$1.46 R 24.19

4.11%

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

$35.4K R 587.9K

$36.3K R 602.9K

-2.50%

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

$34.7K R 576.9K

$29.4K R 488.4K

18.11%

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

$228 R 3,783

$76.6 R 1,272

197.40%

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

$38.51 R 640

$33.40 R 555

15.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.02 R 631

$32.15 R 534

18.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 R 587

$31.41 R 522

12.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.47 R 274

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 R 141

$4.93 R 81.8

71.81%

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

$247 R 4,101

$192 R 3,194

28.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,727 R 128.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R 965

$59.0 R 980

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 R 735

$42.91 R 713

3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,871

$134 R 2,233

-16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,844

$111 R 1,839

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,729

$319 R 5,304

64.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R 6,763

$285 R 4,728

43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 R 18.1K

$515 R 8,549

112.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 R 14.9K

$537 R 8,914

67.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,029 R 17.1K

$477 R 7,924

115.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$748 R 12.4K

$622 R 10.3K

20.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,750 R 29.1K

$1,325 R 22.0K

32.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

12.13

-10.06%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bloemfontein: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$407 29%

Bloemfontein

$285 26.8% 30.1% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$304 21.6%

Bloemfontein

$142 13.4% 53.3% $162

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$220 15.7%

Bloemfontein

$187 17.6% 15.1% $33

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$173 12.3%

Bloemfontein

$169 15.9% 2.3% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Bloemfontein

$156 14.7% 6.5% $9.5

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.3%

Bloemfontein

$80 * 7.6% 21.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Bloemfontein

$41 3.9% 21.1% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $319 in Bloemfontein. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Johannesburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg versus $41 in Bloemfontein. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $187 – making Bloemfontein the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Bloemfontein

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

370,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bloemfontein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 33% more than Bloemfontein, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,110 per month in Johannesburg and $1,591 in Bloemfontein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $319 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Johannesburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg and $41 in Bloemfontein. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,406 in Johannesburg and $1,061 in Bloemfontein. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bloemfontein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.