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: $1,435 in Johannesburg versus $1,181 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,252 in Johannesburg versus $1,796 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,069 in Johannesburg versus $2,411 in Hermanus.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 21% more expensive than in Hermanus, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johannesburg is 4% above, Hermanus is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.61 R 202

$13.62 R 218

-7.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.05 R 736

$36.62 R 586

25.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 R 120

$5.80 R 92.7

29.48%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R 39.82

$2.39 R 38.24

4.18%

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

$1.26 R 20.23

$1.11 R 17.76

13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.07

$0.87 R 13.88

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 R 33.11

$2.45 R 39.10

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.24

$2.86 R 45.69

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 21.79

$1.23 R 19.62

10.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.57

$1.12 R 17.96

15.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.27

$1.86 R 29.77

-1.61%

Eggs

$2.68 R 42.86

$2.65 R 42.38

1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 R 149

$8.36 R 134

11.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 R 96.0

$5.18 R 82.8

15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 R 146

$7.55 R 121

21.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 R 35.97

$1.97 R 31.48

14.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.25

$1.67 R 26.68

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.09

$1.80 R 28.85

1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 R 34.08

$1.79 R 28.71

18.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.66

$1.52 R 24.33

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 R 29.95

$1.49 R 23.82

25.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 24.14

$1.27 R 20.38

18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 21.44

$1.21 R 19.36

10.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 R 54.4

$3.41 R 54.6

-0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 96.8

$7.16 R 115

-15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 29.76

$1.52 R 24.27

22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.14

$1.94 R 31.10

26.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 R 34.08

$1.51 R 24.21

41.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 R 1,501

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 R 14.43

$0.65 R 10.32

38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.10

$0.85 R 13.62

10.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 R 243

$9.30 R 149

63.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 24.56

$1.49 R 23.75

3.36%

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

$36.4K R 581.6K

$37.5K R 599.2K

-2.94%

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

$32.9K R 525.6K

$33.3K R 531.8K

-1.17%

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

$222 R 3,552

$154 R 2,471

43.77%

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

$38.73 R 619

$35.23 R 563

9.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.69 R 635

$42.38 R 678

-6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.29 R 612

$21.83 R 349

75.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 R 279

$14.28 R 228

22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 R 128

$6.33 R 101

26.22%

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

$248 R 3,964

$252 R 4,036

-1.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 R 91.9K

$5,709 R 91.3K

0.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R 958

$54.0 R 864

10.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 R 768

$34.39 R 550

39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,748

$104 R 1,658

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,760

$93.7 R 1,498

17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 R 8,731

$407 R 6,516

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 R 7,081

$372 R 5,952

18.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 R 17.7K

$758 R 12.1K

46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 R 15.0K

$769 R 12.3K

22.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.3K

$885 R 14.2K

15.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$773 R 12.4K

$646 R 10.3K

19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,787 R 28.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

-0.82%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $546 in Johannesburg and $407 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Johannesburg vs $37.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $204 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

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,152 in Johannesburg and $1,771 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: $546 in Johannesburg versus $407 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,435 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,181 in Hermanus – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,181 in Hermanus versus $1,435 in Johannesburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hermanus 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 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.

Expats usually find Hermanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.