Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and George Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and George

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Johannesburg versus $1,093 in George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Johannesburg versus $1,771 in George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,470 in Johannesburg versus $2,449 in George.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 5% more expensive than George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 14% lower, George 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 R 179

$11.09 R 180

-0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.96 R 728

$37.33 R 604

20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 R 80.7

$5.11 R 82.7

-2.35%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.80

$1.97 R 31.95

15.23%

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

$1.04 R 16.78

$1.55 R 25.13

-32.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.38

$1.20 R 19.44

-30.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 43.61

$2.46 R 39.87

9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 41.44

$2.89 R 46.83

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$1.16 R 18.75

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.62

$1.11 R 17.89

-1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.81

$1.66 R 26.94

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.58

$2.96 R 47.84

-17.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 138

$9.55 R 155

-10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 75.8

$4.73 R 76.6

-1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 R 106

$7.60 R 123

-14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.06

$1.76 R 28.50

-8.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.95

$1.68 R 27.20

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.86

$1.37 R 22.16

7.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.13

$1.62 R 26.15

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.43

$1.57 R 25.39

-7.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.32

$1.69 R 27.31

-14.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 16.98

$1.33 R 21.46

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.43

$0.90 R 14.60

-1.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.20

$3.06 R 49.60

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 98.1

$4.93 R 79.8

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.07

$1.17 R 18.94

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.83

$1.56 R 25.30

6.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$0.74 R 12.05

132.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 R 1,152

$26.09 R 422

172.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.67

$1.09 R 17.70

5.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.36

$0.90 R 14.50

-1.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 R 64.3

$4.13 R 66.8

-3.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.90

$1.18 R 19.17

4.24%

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

$22.4K R 362.1K

$21.4K R 346.7K

4.43%

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

$24.2K R 392.3K

$21.1K R 341.1K

15.02%

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

$116 R 1,878

$125 R 2,029

-7.43%

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

$40.82 R 661

$16.21 R 262

151.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 R 706

$51.7 R 837

-15.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.86 R 548

$27.57 R 446

22.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 R 222

$11.17 R 181

22.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 116

$5.52 R 89.4

29.53%

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

$211 R 3,416

$128 R 2,071

64.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,976 R 80.5K

$4,765 R 77.1K

4.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 813

$72.0 R 1,165

-30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.72 R 546

$31.74 R 514

6.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R 1,461

$98.2 R 1,590

-8.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,256

$87.5 R 1,416

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,827

$396 R 6,407

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 5,925

$328 R 5,303

11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 R 15.0K

$705 R 11.4K

31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 R 11.3K

$803 R 13.0K

-12.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,072 R 17.4K

$373 R 6,035

187.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 R 12.7K

$246 R 3,985

217.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.1K

$1,367 R 22.1K

26.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

10.88

5.79%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: June 14, 2026

Last update for George: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Johannesburg and $396 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johannesburg pays 27% 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: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $37.00 in George. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $192, 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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Johannesburg pays 27% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Johannesburg versus $396 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,149 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,093 in George – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in George versus $1,149 in Johannesburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and George 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 George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.