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: $1,141 in Johannesburg versus $862 in Hartebeespoort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,776 in Johannesburg versus $1,369 in Hartebeespoort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,410 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

$11.36 R 190

$7.10 R 119

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 R 752

$33.19 R 557

35.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 R 80.2

$4.80 R 80.6

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R 37.25

$1.84 R 30.91

20.65%

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

$1.00 R 16.73

$0.98 R 16.38

2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.59

$0.73 R 12.30

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 R 45.55

$1.97 R 33.12

38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.57

$2.15 R 36.14

15.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.32

$0.97 R 16.23

18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.69

$0.98 R 16.46

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.62

$1.41 R 23.70

17.02%

Eggs

$2.52 R 42.19

$2.24 R 37.53

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R 140

$6.44 R 108

29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 R 81.6

$4.18 R 70.1

16.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 114

$6.21 R 104

9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.41

$1.46 R 24.50

11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.53

$1.37 R 23.01

10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.98

$1.32 R 22.15

12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.52

$1.37 R 22.92

15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.39

$1.20 R 20.08

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.60

$1.21 R 20.32

16.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 18.42

$0.88 R 14.76

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 16.15

$0.89 R 14.88

7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 R 52.0

$2.87 R 48.10

8.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 R 102

$4.97 R 83.3

22.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.59

$1.21 R 20.34

11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.73

$1.67 R 27.93

-4.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 R 28.61

$2.29 R 38.45

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 R 1,171

$45.70 R 766

52.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.29

$1.13 R 18.97

-3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.92

$0.90 R 15.04

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 R 66.2

$4.42 R 74.1

-10.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 21.24

$1.22 R 20.41

4.10%

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

$22.0K R 369.7K

$17.8K R 298.5K

23.84%

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

$23.6K R 395.0K

$22.6K R 379.5K

4.09%

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

$120 R 2,015

$93.6 R 1,569

28.46%

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

$41.02 R 688

$18.83 R 316

117.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.29 R 709

$31.40 R 527

34.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.01 R 570

$29.23 R 490

16.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.44 R 225

$8.81 R 148

52.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 123

$5.50 R 92.3

33.27%

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

$210 R 3,517

$205 R 3,433

2.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,868 R 81.6K

$4,177 R 70.1K

16.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.43 R 829

$41.02 R 688

20.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.23 R 557

$24.28 R 407

36.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 R 1,534

$67.4 R 1,131

35.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,340

$53.5 R 897

49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 R 7,131

$230 R 3,854

85.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,328

$258 R 4,331

46.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 R 15.6K

$578 R 9,686

61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 R 11.8K

$538 R 9,017

30.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,050 R 17.6K

$461 R 7,739

127.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 R 12.6K

$590 R 9,901

27.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,570 R 26.3K

$2,077 R 34.8K

-24.39%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Hartebeespoort: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Johannesburg and $230 in Hartebeespoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartebeespoort pays 32% 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hartebeespoort earns 32% 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: $425 in Johannesburg versus $230 in Hartebeespoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Johannesburg versus $205 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 $862 in Hartebeespoort versus $1,141 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.