Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Hermanus Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Hermanus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Johannesburg versus $1,150 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,813 in Johannesburg versus $1,804 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,476 in Johannesburg versus $2,458 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs are close between Johannesburg and Hermanus; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 14% lower, Hermanus 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 R 184

$13.89 R 229

-19.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 R 746

$32.55 R 537

38.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 R 80.7

$4.76 R 78.5

2.73%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.74

$2.02 R 33.40

7.43%

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

$0.99 R 16.29

$1.21 R 19.99

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.70

$0.83 R 13.67

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 R 44.16

$2.22 R 36.59

20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.80

$2.51 R 41.36

3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.12

$1.10 R 18.11

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 18.00

$1.05 R 17.32

3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.24

$1.61 R 26.63

2.48%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.46

$2.42 R 40.02

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 139

$7.48 R 124

12.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 R 78.7

$4.54 R 75.0

5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$6.87 R 113

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.52

$1.60 R 26.45

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.00

$1.51 R 24.97

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.47 R 24.24

1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.53

$1.63 R 26.89

-1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.66

$1.31 R 21.65

13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 22.98

$1.25 R 20.55

11.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.96

$1.06 R 17.44

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.52

$0.97 R 16.04

-3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R 52.1

$2.88 R 47.58

9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R 99.7

$7.03 R 116

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.38 R 22.74

-5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.66

$1.71 R 28.16

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.34

$1.67 R 27.50

2.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,176

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 18.23

$1.14 R 18.77

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.90

$0.87 R 14.43

10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.4

$3.99 R 65.9

2.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.15

$1.28 R 21.16

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

$22.2K R 366.1K

$21.1K R 347.4K

5.37%

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

$23.5K R 388.6K

$23.8K R 392.5K

-1.00%

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

$118 R 1,940

$129 R 2,129

-8.86%

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

$40.44 R 667

$35.52 R 586

13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 R 695

$52.0 R 857

-18.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.88 R 559

$17.55 R 290

93.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 R 224

$9.68 R 160

40.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R 117

$4.72 R 77.8

49.79%

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

$204 R 3,366

$197 R 3,253

3.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,903 R 80.9K

$4,299 R 71.0K

14.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R 839

$50.6 R 835

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.65 R 555

$31.64 R 522

6.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R 1,524

$88.8 R 1,465

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 R 1,308

$80.2 R 1,324

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R 6,830

$367 R 6,049

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,028

$412 R 6,805

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 R 15.0K

$677 R 11.2K

33.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.4K

$902 R 14.9K

-23.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,043 R 17.2K

$841 R 13.9K

23.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 R 12.6K

$692 R 11.4K

10.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.6K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Johannesburg and $367 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $33.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $181 per month, with Hermanus 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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,724 in Johannesburg and $1,725 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Johannesburg versus $367 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johannesburg – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $33.00 in Hermanus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $204 in Johannesburg versus $197 in Hermanus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,149 in Johannesburg versus $1,150 in Hermanus, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Johannesburg but tight or insufficient in Hermanus. The gap between the two cities makes Johannesburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Johannesburg is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hermanus, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Johannesburg and Hermanus are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Johannesburg wins on affordability, Hermanus on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.