Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $863 a month against $1,430 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Johannesburg
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,430
/mo nomad
Da Nang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$863
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Da Nang

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

A single person spends $1,430 per month in Johannesburg vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • Johannesburg $1,430
  • Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • Johannesburg $2,195
  • Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $2,960 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • Johannesburg $2,960
  • Da Nang $1,945

Johannesburg costs about 66% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Johannesburg sits 6% above the global median, while Da Nang is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.98 R 197
$2.30 ₫59.4K
420.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.02 R 709
$19.62 ₫508.0K
119.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.12 R 117
$4.60 ₫119.1K
54.78%
Cappuccino
$2.41 R 39.72
$1.66 ₫43.0K
45.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 R 19.21
$0.61 ₫15.7K
91.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 R 15.30
$0.34 ₫8,877
173.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 R 37.03
$1.34 ₫34.6K
67.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 R 45.49
$2.36 ₫61.1K
16.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 R 21.59
$1.60 ₫41.5K
-18.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.28 R 21.12
$1.21 ₫31.3K
5.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 R 28.37
$1.00 ₫25.9K
72.00%
Eggs
$2.63 R 43.34
$1.51 ₫39.1K
74.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.47 R 140
$12.90 ₫333.9K
-34.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.47 R 90.0
$4.29 ₫111.1K
27.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.80 R 145
$9.06 ₫234.6K
-2.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 R 34.89
$2.73 ₫70.6K
-22.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 R 29.45
$1.19 ₫30.8K
50.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 R 30.47
$1.29 ₫33.4K
43.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 R 34.99
$1.60 ₫41.3K
32.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 R 28.61
$1.18 ₫30.4K
47.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.09
$1.33 ₫34.3K
37.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 R 23.53
$1.01 ₫26.1K
41.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 R 21.99
$0.53 ₫13.7K
150.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 R 54.3
$1.56 ₫40.3K
111.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.91 R 97.3
$7.93 ₫205.2K
-25.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 R 29.89
$0.88 ₫22.9K
105.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 R 40.95
$2.12 ₫54.9K
17.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.01 R 33.11
$0.32 ₫8,182
528.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.9 R 1,481
$4.99 ₫129.3K
1701.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 R 13.62
$1.05 ₫27.1K
-20.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 R 14.70
$0.55 ₫14.3K
61.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.42 R 238
$19.50 ₫504.8K
-26.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 R 24.51
$0.95 ₫24.5K
56.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K R 579.4K
$30.9K ₫799.2M
13.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K R 534.9K
$28.0K ₫724.6M
16.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$233 R 3,841
$76.6 ₫2.0M
204.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.52 R 618
$6.47 ₫167.6K
479.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.32 R 598
$8.08 ₫209.1K
349.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.44 R 600
$24.98 ₫646.6K
45.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.23 R 284
$5.35 ₫138.6K
222.06%
Cinema Ticket
$7.66 R 126
$3.07 ₫79.4K
149.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$246 R 4,048
$161 ₫4.2M
52.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,533 R 91.2K
$15.2K ₫392.3M
-63.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.4 R 963
$45.38 ₫1.2M
28.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.21 R 745
$27.22 ₫704.7K
66.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 R 1,817
$100 ₫2.6M
10.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 R 1,734
$80.9 ₫2.1M
30.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$493 R 8,127
$529 ₫13.7M
-6.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$435 R 7,160
$349 ₫9.0M
24.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 R 16.2K
$1,053 ₫27.3M
-6.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$896 R 14.8K
$811 ₫21.0M
10.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$967 R 15.9K
$3,834 ₫99.3M
-74.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$746 R 12.3K
$1,308 ₫33.9M
-42.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Johannesburg
Da Nang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,738 R 28.6K
$363 ₫9.4M
378.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.91
10.72
1.77%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 13, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Johannesburg
$435
Da Nang
$349 19.7% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Johannesburg
$307
Da Nang
$91 70.3% $216
Groceries & Markets
Johannesburg
$218
Da Nang
$201 8.1% $18
Eating Out
Johannesburg
$171
Da Nang
$67 60.7% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Johannesburg
$144
Da Nang
$114 20.6% $30
Getting Around
Johannesburg
$103
Da Nang
$10 90.2% $93
Sport & Entertainment
Johannesburg
$52
Da Nang
$31 39.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $493 in Johannesburg versus $529 in Da Nang. 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 378% 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 $43.00 in Johannesburg versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $201 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Johannesburg
🇻🇳 Da Nang
🕒 Local time
17:22 5:22 PM
22:22 10:22 PM
5 h ahead of Johannesburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,434,827
1,245,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Johannesburg Da Nang 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Johannesburg
  • Da Nang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Johannesburg and in Da Nang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,430 in Johannesburg, $863 in Da Nang – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Johannesburg compared to Da Nang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,145 per month in Johannesburg and $1,295 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Johannesburg and Da Nang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Johannesburg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Johannesburg and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $863, than in Johannesburg at $1,430. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Johannesburg and Da Nang?
It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $863 in Da Nang to $1,430 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Johannesburg or Da Nang safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Johannesburg and Da Nang?
If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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