Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Boksburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Boksburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,179 in Johannesburg versus $1,067 in Boksburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Johannesburg versus $1,657 in Boksburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Johannesburg versus $2,248 in Boksburg.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 10% more expensive than Boksburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 12% lower, Boksburg 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$11.00 R 179

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 R 732

$41.53 R 675

8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$4.81 R 78.1

2.08%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.89

$2.13 R 34.54

6.57%

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

$0.99 R 16.06

$1.03 R 16.71

-3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.58

$0.82 R 13.24

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.79

$2.25 R 36.57

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.12

$2.72 R 44.23

-6.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.26

$1.19 R 19.39

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.15

$1.05 R 17.10

0.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.59

$1.57 R 25.53

8.28%

Eggs

$2.52 R 40.90

$2.52 R 40.97

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 136

$7.78 R 126

7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.0

$4.52 R 73.4

3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R 108

$6.58 R 107

1.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.25

$1.63 R 26.57

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.04

$1.49 R 24.19

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.58 R 25.70

-5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.78

$1.64 R 26.70

-3.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.19

$1.50 R 24.32

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.74

$1.44 R 23.45

1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.21

$1.04 R 16.90

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.26

$1.15 R 18.73

-23.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.31

$2.99 R 48.67

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 R 99.3

$6.07 R 98.6

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.03

$1.35 R 21.94

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.13

$1.77 R 28.73

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$1.67 R 27.21

2.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 R 1,121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 17.88

$1.09 R 17.71

0.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.37

$0.91 R 14.76

4.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 66.1

$3.13 R 50.8

30.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.86

$1.29 R 21.01

-0.78%

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

$22.6K R 367.0K

$18.9K R 306.8K

19.60%

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

$24.4K R 395.9K

$23.8K R 386.6K

2.42%

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

$119 R 1,929

$124 R 2,018

-4.41%

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

$39.96 R 649

$39.83 R 647

0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 704

$42.92 R 697

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 R 547

$28.04 R 456

20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 R 227

$6.82 R 111

104.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R 120

$7.59 R 123

-2.50%

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

$206 R 3,354

$200 R 3,256

3.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,959 R 80.6K

$4,899 R 79.6K

1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 833

$50.1 R 814

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 R 553

$31.96 R 519

6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,493

$89.0 R 1,446

3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,281

$78.6 R 1,278

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,817

$305 R 4,949

37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,038

$333 R 5,408

11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R 14.9K

$607 R 9,872

51.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.7K

$730 R 11.9K

-1.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,063 R 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R 12.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 R 27.8K

$900 R 14.6K

90.37%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Boksburg: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Johannesburg and $305 in Boksburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johannesburg pays 90% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $42.00 in Boksburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $184, with Johannesburg cheaper for home cooking.

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 Boksburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg and Boksburg differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,179 vs $1,067 including rent). Boksburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Johannesburg pays 90% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $419 in Johannesburg versus $305 in Boksburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Johannesburg pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,179 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,067 in Boksburg – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,067 in Boksburg versus $1,179 in Johannesburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boksburg but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Boksburg 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.

Expats usually find Boksburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.