Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Grahamstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Grahamstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Johannesburg versus $990 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,776 in Johannesburg versus $1,554 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,410 in Johannesburg versus $2,118 in Grahamstown.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 15% more expensive than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 15% lower, Grahamstown 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 R 190

$8.75 R 147

29.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 R 752

$34.13 R 572

31.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 R 80.2

$5.00 R 83.8

-4.40%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R 37.25

$2.03 R 34.02

9.36%

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

$1.00 R 16.73

$1.03 R 17.33

-2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.59

$0.81 R 13.65

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 R 45.55

$2.21 R 37.12

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.57

$2.48 R 41.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.32

$1.11 R 18.61

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.69

$1.06 R 17.76

-0.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.62

$1.57 R 26.37

5.10%

Eggs

$2.52 R 42.19

$2.42 R 40.56

4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R 140

$7.93 R 133

5.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 R 81.6

$4.53 R 76.0

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 114

$6.62 R 111

3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.41

$1.61 R 26.96

1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.53

$1.52 R 25.42

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.98

$1.49 R 24.99

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.52

$1.59 R 26.67

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.39

$1.38 R 23.12

9.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.60

$1.18 R 19.86

19.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 18.42

$1.08 R 18.17

1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 16.15

$0.97 R 16.24

-1.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 R 52.0

$2.86 R 48.02

8.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 R 102

$4.95 R 83.0

22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.59

$1.34 R 22.44

0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.73

$1.71 R 28.75

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 R 28.61

$1.60 R 26.88

6.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 R 1,171

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.29

$1.13 R 19.03

-3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.92

$0.89 R 15.00

6.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 R 66.2

$3.92 R 65.7

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 21.24

$1.25 R 20.90

1.60%

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

$22.0K R 369.7K

$21.2K R 355.1K

4.12%

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

$23.6K R 395.0K

$23.5K R 393.3K

0.44%

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

$120 R 2,015

$118 R 1,983

1.63%

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

$41.02 R 688

$35.40 R 594

15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.29 R 709

$41.04 R 688

3.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.01 R 570

$30.78 R 516

10.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.44 R 225

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 123

$6.61 R 111

10.89%

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

$210 R 3,517

$197 R 3,310

6.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,868 R 81.6K

$4,392 R 73.7K

10.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.43 R 829

$51.4 R 862

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.23 R 557

$32.50 R 545

2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 R 1,534

$89.9 R 1,507

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,340

$79.8 R 1,338

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 R 7,131

$366 R 6,130

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,328

$328 R 5,506

14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 R 15.6K

$676 R 11.3K

38.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 R 11.8K

$677 R 11.4K

3.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,050 R 17.6K

$876 R 14.7K

19.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 R 12.6K

$598 R 10.0K

25.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,570 R 26.3K

$1,195 R 20.0K

31.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

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

Last update for Johannesburg: April 28, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Johannesburg and $366 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johannesburg pays 31% 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 $34.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $178 per month, with Grahamstown cheaper across the board.

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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Johannesburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Johannesburg pays 31% 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: $425 in Johannesburg versus $366 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,141 per month in Johannesburg versus $990 in Grahamstown – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,141 in Johannesburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.