Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Centurion Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Centurion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,179 in Johannesburg versus $1,139 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Johannesburg versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Johannesburg versus $2,580 in Centurion.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 12% lower, Centurion 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$10.55 R 171

4.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 R 732

$33.64 R 547

33.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$4.79 R 77.8

2.51%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.89

$2.03 R 33.03

11.82%

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

$0.99 R 16.06

$1.02 R 16.59

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.58

$0.81 R 13.13

-4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.79

$2.22 R 36.14

18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.12

$2.48 R 40.32

2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.26

$1.19 R 19.34

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.15

$1.06 R 17.19

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.59

$1.66 R 26.98

2.41%

Eggs

$2.52 R 40.90

$2.43 R 39.47

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 136

$8.14 R 132

2.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.0

$4.84 R 78.7

-3.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R 108

$6.66 R 108

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.25

$1.62 R 26.37

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.04

$1.48 R 24.06

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.62 R 26.26

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.78

$1.64 R 26.71

-3.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.19

$1.34 R 21.75

6.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.74

$1.45 R 23.59

0.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.21

$1.09 R 17.79

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.26

$1.07 R 17.36

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.31

$3.06 R 49.69

-0.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 R 99.3

$6.17 R 100

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.03

$1.44 R 23.47

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.13

$1.72 R 28.00

-2.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$2.18 R 35.50

-21.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 R 1,121

$91.0 R 1,479

-24.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 17.88

$1.13 R 18.39

-2.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.37

$1.07 R 17.31

-11.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 66.1

$4.04 R 65.7

0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.86

$1.31 R 21.25

-2.29%

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

$22.6K R 367.0K

$22.8K R 370.1K

-0.85%

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

$24.4K R 395.9K

$24.3K R 395.1K

0.21%

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

$119 R 1,929

$120 R 1,951

-1.15%

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

$39.96 R 649

$37.25 R 605

7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 704

$42.33 R 688

2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 R 547

$41.89 R 681

-19.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 R 227

$0.93 R 15.13

1401.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R 120

$7.71 R 125

-4.02%

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

$206 R 3,354

$209 R 3,392

-1.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,959 R 80.6K

$4,282 R 69.6K

15.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 833

$49.86 R 810

2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 R 553

$32.17 R 523

5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,493

$86.5 R 1,406

6.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,281

$88.2 R 1,433

-10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,817

$319 R 5,179

31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,038

$329 R 5,352

12.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R 14.9K

$527 R 8,567

74.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.7K

$803 R 13.1K

-10.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,063 R 17.3K

$522 R 8,489

103.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R 12.4K

$591 R 9,611

29.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 R 27.8K

$2,129 R 34.6K

-19.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.69

-1.54%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: May 30, 2026

Last update for Centurion: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Johannesburg and $319 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 24% 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 Centurion. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $186, 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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Johannesburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Centurion earns 24% 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: $419 in Johannesburg versus $319 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 32% less than in Johannesburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $206 in Johannesburg versus $209 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,139 in Centurion versus $1,179 in Johannesburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and Centurion 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 Centurion 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.