Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Burgersfort Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Burgersfort

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,425 in Johannesburg versus $1,133 in Burgersfort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,190 in Johannesburg versus $1,759 in Burgersfort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Johannesburg versus $2,385 in Burgersfort.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 26% more expensive than in Burgersfort, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johannesburg is 4% above, Burgersfort is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 R 202

$9.61 R 156

29.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 R 784

$39.67 R 645

21.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R 118

$5.66 R 92.0

28.45%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R 40.87

$2.41 R 39.08

4.56%

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

$1.17 R 18.97

$1.07 R 17.46

9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.76

$0.87 R 14.11

11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 36.58

$2.64 R 42.92

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 45.84

$3.37 R 54.8

-16.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.07

$1.21 R 19.62

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.82

$1.18 R 19.22

8.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.11

$1.91 R 31.05

-6.28%

Eggs

$2.72 R 44.27

$2.65 R 42.98

2.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 R 140

$8.62 R 140

-0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 R 93.6

$5.06 R 82.2

13.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.08 R 148

$7.68 R 125

18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.85

$1.85 R 30.12

15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.84

$1.67 R 27.07

10.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.49

$1.79 R 29.02

5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 R 32.41

$1.63 R 26.51

22.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.34

$1.16 R 18.77

44.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.77

$1.26 R 20.40

40.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 R 23.41

$1.25 R 20.35

15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.14

$1.39 R 22.53

-6.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.0

$3.33 R 54.1

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 R 100

$5.36 R 87.1

14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 R 30.88

$1.64 R 26.66

15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R 39.17

$1.98 R 32.18

21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 R 33.72

$1.52 R 24.73

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 R 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.15

$0.32 R 5.22

190.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.37

$0.79 R 12.85

11.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 R 243

$15.17 R 247

-1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.44

$1.51 R 24.47

-0.66%

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

$36.9K R 598.9K

$36.5K R 592.4K

1.09%

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

$32.0K R 520.4K

$34.9K R 566.4K

-8.13%

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

$218 R 3,535

$157 R 2,558

38.23%

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

$38.57 R 627

$38.67 R 628

-0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.70 R 596

$37.70 R 613

-2.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 R 599

$32.94 R 535

11.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 R 282

Cinema Ticket

$8.52 R 138

$7.64 R 124

11.52%

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

$247 R 4,005

$274 R 4,453

-10.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,495 R 89.3K

$5,694 R 92.5K

-3.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 R 937

$55.3 R 898

4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 R 776

$33.04 R 537

44.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,763

$97.4 R 1,582

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,747

$85.5 R 1,388

25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,551

$424 R 6,896

24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,174

$379 R 6,162

16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 R 17.1K

$803 R 13.0K

31.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 R 14.4K

$779 R 12.7K

13.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 R 16.3K

$896 R 14.6K

12.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.3K

$702 R 11.4K

7.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 R 28.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.34

-3.79%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Burgersfort: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Johannesburg and $424 in Burgersfort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Johannesburg vs $40.00 in Burgersfort for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $201 per month, with Burgersfort 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 Burgersfort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg and Burgersfort differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,425 vs $1,133 including rent). Burgersfort is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,137 in Johannesburg and $1,699 in Burgersfort 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: $526 in Johannesburg versus $424 in Burgersfort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $1,133 in Burgersfort – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,133 in Burgersfort versus $1,425 in Johannesburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burgersfort but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Burgersfort 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 Burgersfort 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 Burgersfort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.