Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Hartebeespoort Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Hartebeespoort

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Johannesburg versus $853 in Hartebeespoort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,812 in Johannesburg versus $1,378 in Hartebeespoort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Johannesburg versus $1,903 in Hartebeespoort.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 36% more expensive than in Hartebeespoort, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 13% lower, Hartebeespoort 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 R 183

$6.87 R 113

61.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 R 747

$33.97 R 559

33.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 R 79.2

$4.96 R 81.7

-3.02%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 35.85

$1.81 R 29.84

20.44%

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

$1.02 R 16.84

$0.92 R 15.09

10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.45

$0.67 R 10.98

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 R 44.37

$1.94 R 31.93

39.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.94

$2.19 R 36.07

13.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.98

$0.96 R 15.80

19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.93

$0.94 R 15.55

15.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.86

$1.42 R 23.44

19.01%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.91

$2.33 R 38.37

9.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 R 136

$6.56 R 108

25.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 R 78.8

$4.19 R 68.9

14.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$6.00 R 98.7

9.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.62

$1.46 R 24.10

15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.30

$1.39 R 22.96

10.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.37

$1.33 R 21.89

11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.18

$1.42 R 23.33

11.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.73

$1.15 R 18.89

25.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 22.90

$1.17 R 19.21

18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.93

$0.89 R 14.58

22.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.58

$0.84 R 13.76

5.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 49.34

$2.82 R 46.44

6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 R 96.7

$4.80 R 79.0

22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.63

$1.22 R 20.05

7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.15

$1.67 R 27.43

-1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 27.46

$2.20 R 36.18

-24.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,174

$45.59 R 750

56.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 17.91

$1.15 R 18.90

-5.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.63

$0.95 R 15.60

-6.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.3

$4.42 R 72.8

-7.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.92

$1.23 R 20.21

3.25%

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

$22.5K R 370.5K

$17.7K R 290.9K

27.35%

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

$23.8K R 392.2K

$23.2K R 381.2K

2.88%

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

$119 R 1,958

$95.6 R 1,574

24.41%

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

$41.09 R 676

$19.10 R 314

115.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 R 699

$31.23 R 514

35.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.18 R 563

$30.13 R 496

13.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 R 225

$8.86 R 146

53.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 R 122

$5.57 R 91.7

33.21%

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

$209 R 3,440

$206 R 3,388

1.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,974 R 81.9K

$4,126 R 67.9K

20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 823

$40.41 R 665

23.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.46 R 551

$23.95 R 394

39.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 R 1,491

$67.7 R 1,115

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,278

$54.0 R 889

43.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 R 6,857

$226 R 3,727

83.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,201

$263 R 4,332

43.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 R 15.2K

$581 R 9,561

59.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.5K

$524 R 8,628

33.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.8K

$450 R 7,407

126.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 R 12.5K

$571 R 9,406

32.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 R 27.8K

$2,032 R 33.4K

-16.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

9.59

20.02%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: July 26, 2026

Last update for Hartebeespoort: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $417 in Johannesburg and $226 in Hartebeespoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartebeespoort pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $34.00 in Hartebeespoort for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $159 per month, with Hartebeespoort 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 Hartebeespoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hartebeespoort is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Hartebeespoort. 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: $417 in Johannesburg versus $226 in Hartebeespoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $209 in Johannesburg versus $206 in Hartebeespoort. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $853 in Hartebeespoort versus $1,160 in Johannesburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hartebeespoort but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Hartebeespoort the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hartebeespoort 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 Hartebeespoort 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 Hartebeespoort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.