Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and George

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,105 a month against $1,430 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,430

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in George

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Johannesburg versus $1,105 in George.

Johannesburg $1,430
George $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,195 in Johannesburg versus $1,834 in George.

Johannesburg $2,195
George $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,960 in Johannesburg versus $2,563 in George.

Johannesburg $2,960
George $2,563

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 29% more expensive than in George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johannesburg is 6% above, George is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 R 197

$10.87 R 179

10.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 R 709

$41.26 R 680

4.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 R 117

$4.81 R 79.3

48.02%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R 39.72

$2.10 R 34.66

14.76%

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

$1.17 R 19.21

$1.06 R 17.47

10.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.30

$0.77 R 12.63

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 37.03

$2.72 R 44.76

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.49

$3.20 R 52.8

-13.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.59

$1.13 R 18.55

15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 21.12

$1.04 R 17.20

23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.37

$1.43 R 23.63

20.28%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.34

$2.80 R 46.05

-6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R 140

$8.36 R 138

1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.0

$5.45 R 89.8

0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R 145

$6.66 R 110

32.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.89

$1.61 R 26.49

31.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.45

$1.47 R 24.19

21.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.47

$1.54 R 25.33

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.99

$1.73 R 28.44

22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.61

$1.63 R 26.89

6.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.09

$1.42 R 23.41

28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 R 23.53

$1.25 R 20.53

14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.99

$0.97 R 15.99

37.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 R 54.3

$3.18 R 52.4

3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 R 97.3

$4.72 R 77.8

25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.89

$1.22 R 20.09

48.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.95

$1.73 R 28.48

43.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 R 33.11

$1.54 R 25.37

30.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 R 1,481

$27.77 R 457

223.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.62

$0.58 R 9.50

43.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.70

$0.47 R 7.67

89.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.42 R 238

$8.38 R 138

72.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.51

$1.22 R 20.03

22.13%

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

$35.2K R 579.4K

$29.7K R 488.9K

18.51%

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

$32.5K R 534.9K

$29.4K R 483.7K

10.59%

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

$233 R 3,841

$121 R 1,995

92.57%

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

$37.52 R 618

$17.44 R 287

115.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 R 598

$45.19 R 745

-19.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 R 600

$29.75 R 490

22.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 R 284

$10.64 R 175

61.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R 126

$6.08 R 100

25.99%

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

$246 R 4,048

$137 R 2,263

78.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,533 R 91.2K

$5,187 R 85.5K

6.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 963

$71.5 R 1,177

-18.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 R 745

$37.94 R 625

19.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,817

$112 R 1,845

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,734

$85.8 R 1,413

22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 R 8,127

$422 R 6,956

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 R 7,160

$365 R 6,010

19.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 R 16.2K

$773 R 12.7K

27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 R 14.8K

$929 R 15.3K

-3.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$967 R 15.9K

$871 R 14.4K

10.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$746 R 12.3K

$652 R 10.7K

14.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 R 28.6K

$1,364 R 22.5K

27.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

10.92

-0.09%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 13, 2026

Last update for George: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$435 30.4%

George

$365 33% 16.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$307 21.5%

George

$184 16.6% 40.2% $123

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.3%

George

$186 16.8% 14.8% $32

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$171 12%

George

$154 13.9% 10.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$144 10.1%

George

$138 12.5% 3.8% $5.4

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.2%

George

$37 3.3% 64.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.6%

George

$42 3.8% 19% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Johannesburg and $422 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: $43.00 in Johannesburg vs $41.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $186 per month, with George cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

188,580

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Johannesburg George 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Johannesburg
George

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Johannesburg, 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: $493 in Johannesburg versus $422 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 $41.00 versus $43.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,430 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,105 in George – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,105 in George versus $1,430 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 29% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.