Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Johannesburg: $1,406 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Johannesburg versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Johannesburg $1,406
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,192 in Johannesburg versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Johannesburg $2,192
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in Johannesburg versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Johannesburg $2,978
Dubai $5,788

Living in Johannesburg costs roughly 51% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Johannesburg 5% above, Dubai 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 R 198

$13.04 AED 47.89

-8.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 R 731

$81.4 AED 299

-45.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 R 123

$9.32 AED 34.25

-20.49%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.89

$5.97 AED 21.93

-58.63%

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

$1.17 R 19.46

$1.63 AED 5.98

-28.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.49

$0.81 AED 2.99

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.50

$13.65 AED 50.1

-83.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R 46.10

$13.38 AED 49.15

-79.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.23

$1.81 AED 6.64

-25.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 R 20.51

$1.57 AED 5.78

-21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.49

$2.49 AED 9.16

-28.51%

Eggs

$2.64 R 43.82

$3.28 AED 12.04

-19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 R 140

$12.67 AED 46.52

-33.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 R 88.9

$9.75 AED 35.80

-45.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$13.18 AED 48.39

-36.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.94

$2.61 AED 9.57

-21.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.81

$1.93 AED 7.09

-6.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.48

$1.92 AED 7.05

-4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R 33.64

$1.36 AED 5.00

49.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.38

$1.17 AED 4.29

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.31

$1.01 AED 3.71

81.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 R 23.46

$1.51 AED 5.56

-6.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.94

$0.62 AED 2.29

112.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 R 56.1

$5.85 AED 21.50

-42.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 R 99.3

$16.14 AED 59.3

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R 30.46

$2.65 AED 9.74

-30.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.49

$2.95 AED 10.82

-17.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 R 34.02

$1.64 AED 6.03

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 R 1,485

$73.6 AED 270

21.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.65

$3.17 AED 11.66

-74.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.49

$0.71 AED 2.63

30.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 R 243

$7.96 AED 29.23

84.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.90

$0.99 AED 3.64

51.52%

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

$36.0K R 597.7K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

31.66%

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

$32.7K R 542.6K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

45.15%

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

$227 R 3,770

$250 AED 920

-9.21%

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

$37.98 R 630

$54.2 AED 199

-29.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.49 R 605

$91.8 AED 337

-60.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 R 611

$98.6 AED 362

-62.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 R 288

$42.61 AED 156

-59.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 R 130

$16.03 AED 58.9

-51.09%

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

$238 R 3,951

$843 AED 3,098

-71.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,563 R 92.3K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-69.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 R 972

$68.0 AED 250

-13.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.52 R 772

$57.9 AED 212

-19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,805

$101 AED 370

8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,747

$101 AED 371

4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 R 8,220

$2,380 AED 8,741

-79.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,995

$1,506 AED 5,531

-71.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 16.2K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-77.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 R 14.8K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-70.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$964 R 16.0K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-86.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-81.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,755 R 29.1K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-48.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

4.54

140.31%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$422 29.9%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 257% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$302 21.4%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 31.4% $95

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$216 15.3%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 35.7% $77

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$173 12.2%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 78.9% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$144 10.2%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 2.6% $3.7

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.3%

Dubai

$87 3% 15.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$53 3.7%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 149% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Johannesburg and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 93% 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: $44.00 in Johannesburg vs $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $293 per month, with Johannesburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

11:47 11:47 AM

2 h ahead of Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

3,790,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Johannesburg Dubai 6,400 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Johannesburg
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Dubai. 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: $496 in Johannesburg versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Johannesburg runs roughly 22% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $238 in Johannesburg versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,406 in Johannesburg versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Johannesburg but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Johannesburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Johannesburg is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and Dubai 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 Johannesburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.