Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and East London Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and East London

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,160 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,051 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,812 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,562 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,464 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,074 in East London, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 10% more than East London, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Johannesburg and East London are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 13% lower, East London 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 R 184

$6.53 R 108

69.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 R 750

$30.53 R 505

48.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 R 79.5

$4.47 R 73.9

7.61%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 36.02

$2.08 R 34.48

4.81%

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

$1.02 R 16.92

$1.01 R 16.64

0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.52

$0.86 R 14.22

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 R 44.59

$2.46 R 40.64

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 41.13

$3.04 R 50.3

-18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.08

$1.02 R 16.90

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 18.02

$0.91 R 15.01

19.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.99

$2.08 R 34.36

-18.75%

Eggs

$2.55 R 42.11

$2.05 R 33.89

24.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 R 136

$9.36 R 155

-11.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 R 79.1

$4.14 R 68.4

15.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 109

$7.47 R 124

-12.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.75

$1.59 R 26.23

5.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.42

$2.05 R 33.96

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.49

$1.38 R 22.79

7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.31

$1.46 R 24.15

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.84

$1.56 R 25.74

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 23.01

$1.49 R 24.61

-6.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.02

$1.09 R 18.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.65

$0.87 R 14.37

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 49.57

$2.62 R 43.40

14.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 R 97.1

$4.65 R 76.9

26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.73

$1.73 R 28.55

-24.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.28

$2.53 R 41.89

-34.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 27.59

$0.68 R 11.19

145.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,180

$21.98 R 364

224.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.00

$1.14 R 18.90

-4.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.70

$0.95 R 15.67

-6.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.6

$4.07 R 67.4

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 21.02

$1.27 R 21.08

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

$22.5K R 372.3K

$37.1K R 613.2K

-39.29%

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

$23.8K R 394.1K

$22.3K R 368.9K

6.84%

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

$119 R 1,967

$196 R 3,243

-39.33%

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

$41.09 R 680

$29.96 R 496

37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 R 702

$45.04 R 745

-5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.18 R 565

$34.20 R 566

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 R 226

$1.38 R 22.75

888.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 R 123

$3.68 R 60.9

101.63%

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

$209 R 3,457

$117 R 1,936

78.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,974 R 82.3K

$4,123 R 68.2K

20.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 827

$52.3 R 865

-4.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.46 R 553

$29.05 R 480

15.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 R 1,498

$108 R 1,794

-16.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,284

$87.2 R 1,442

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 R 6,890

$261 R 4,315

59.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,230

$296 R 4,902

27.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 R 15.3K

$506 R 8,362

82.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.5K

$561 R 9,281

24.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 R 12.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 R 27.9K

$1,628 R 26.9K

3.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

4.64%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: July 26, 2026

Last update for East London: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $417 in Johannesburg versus $261 in East London. 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 4% 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $31.00 in East London. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Johannesburg vs $185 in East London – so Johannesburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,160 in Johannesburg, $1,051 in East London – roughly 10% apart. Johannesburg costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,739 per month in Johannesburg and $1,576 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $209 per month in Johannesburg and $117 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Johannesburg – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,051, than in Johannesburg at $1,160. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Johannesburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,051 in East London to $1,160 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with East London. 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.