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: $1,142 in Johannesburg versus $864 in Hartebeespoort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,779 in Johannesburg versus $1,370 in Hartebeespoort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Johannesburg versus $1,876 in Hartebeespoort.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 32% more expensive than Hartebeespoort, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 15% lower, Hartebeespoort 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 R 184

$7.12 R 115

60.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.07 R 729

$33.44 R 541

34.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 R 80.2

$4.82 R 77.9

2.90%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.74

$1.81 R 29.27

25.41%

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

$1.03 R 16.71

$0.98 R 15.85

5.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.09

$0.73 R 11.79

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.60

$2.01 R 32.49

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.17

$2.14 R 34.66

15.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.52

$1.00 R 16.21

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.59

$0.94 R 15.23

15.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.88

$1.42 R 22.92

16.90%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.54

$2.29 R 37.08

6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 R 136

$6.41 R 104

31.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 R 77.8

$4.39 R 71.0

9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R 111

$5.94 R 96.1

15.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.29

$1.50 R 24.19

12.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.57

$1.32 R 21.42

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.92

$1.38 R 22.32

11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.65

$1.42 R 22.94

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.47

$1.15 R 18.66

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.31

$1.21 R 19.48

14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.08

$0.83 R 13.49

27.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.21

$0.82 R 13.32

7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 48.46

$2.82 R 45.58

6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 R 101

$4.76 R 77.0

30.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.04

$1.26 R 20.43

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 R 25.95

$1.60 R 25.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 26.99

$2.29 R 37.05

-27.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 R 1,149

$45.38 R 734

56.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.65

$1.10 R 17.78

4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.46

$0.96 R 15.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 R 65.3

$4.45 R 71.9

-9.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.64

$1.27 R 20.53

-4.72%

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

$22.2K R 358.9K

$17.6K R 284.6K

26.10%

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

$23.6K R 382.0K

$22.5K R 363.2K

5.17%

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

$116 R 1,875

$95.2 R 1,539

21.84%

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

$39.97 R 646

$18.87 R 305

111.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 R 690

$31.33 R 506

36.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 R 556

$30.18 R 488

13.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.50 R 218

$8.57 R 139

57.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 119

$5.63 R 91.1

30.20%

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

$211 R 3,405

$204 R 3,295

3.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,820 R 77.9K

$4,206 R 68.0K

14.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 811

$41.28 R 667

21.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 R 540

$24.00 R 388

39.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 R 1,445

$67.2 R 1,086

33.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 R 1,273

$54.5 R 880

44.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 R 6,847

$225 R 3,633

88.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 R 6,079

$256 R 4,138

46.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 R 14.8K

$579 R 9,358

57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 R 11.5K

$533 R 8,619

32.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,056 R 17.1K

$458 R 7,398

130.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$770 R 12.5K

$593 R 9,582

29.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 R 26.7K

$2,064 R 33.4K

-19.85%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Hartebeespoort: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Johannesburg and $225 in Hartebeespoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartebeespoort pays 25% 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 $33.00 in Hartebeespoort for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $160 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hartebeespoort earns 25% less. 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: $423 in Johannesburg versus $225 in Hartebeespoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $211 in Johannesburg versus $204 in Hartebeespoort. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Hartebeespoort versus $1,142 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 32% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.