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: $1,179 in Johannesburg versus $1,162 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Johannesburg versus $1,827 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Johannesburg versus $2,492 in Hermanus.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 1% more expensive than Hermanus, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 12% lower, Hermanus 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$14.22 R 231

-22.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 R 732

$33.06 R 537

36.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$4.75 R 77.2

3.37%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.89

$2.04 R 33.21

11.27%

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

$0.99 R 16.06

$1.17 R 18.99

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.58

$0.81 R 13.16

-4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.79

$2.19 R 35.59

20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.12

$2.57 R 41.73

-1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.26

$1.12 R 18.20

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.15

$1.01 R 16.47

4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.59

$1.63 R 26.55

4.29%

Eggs

$2.52 R 40.90

$2.42 R 39.36

4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 136

$7.50 R 122

11.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.0

$4.55 R 74.0

2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R 108

$6.62 R 108

0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.25

$1.67 R 27.09

0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.04

$1.49 R 24.19

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.53 R 24.93

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.78

$1.58 R 25.63

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.19

$1.35 R 21.94

5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.74

$1.18 R 19.25

23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.21

$1.08 R 17.57

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.26

$0.93 R 15.07

-5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.31

$2.72 R 44.21

11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 R 99.3

$7.23 R 118

-15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.03

$1.37 R 22.29

-0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.13

$1.69 R 27.51

-1.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$1.66 R 27.01

3.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 R 1,121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 17.88

$1.14 R 18.54

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.37

$0.88 R 14.32

7.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 66.1

$3.98 R 64.6

2.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.86

$1.23 R 19.96

4.07%

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

$22.6K R 367.0K

$20.9K R 339.7K

8.02%

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

$24.4K R 395.9K

$24.0K R 389.3K

1.72%

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

$119 R 1,929

$128 R 2,078

-7.19%

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

$39.96 R 649

$34.61 R 562

15.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 704

$51.6 R 839

-16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 R 547

$17.80 R 289

89.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 R 227

$9.91 R 161

40.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R 120

$4.80 R 78.1

54.17%

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

$206 R 3,354

$197 R 3,196

4.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,959 R 80.6K

$4,266 R 69.3K

16.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 833

$51.0 R 828

0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 R 553

$32.77 R 533

3.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,493

$89.3 R 1,451

2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,281

$81.3 R 1,321

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,817

$358 R 5,824

17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,038

$415 R 6,748

-10.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R 14.9K

$674 R 11.0K

36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.7K

$926 R 15.0K

-22.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,063 R 17.3K

$776 R 12.6K

36.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R 12.4K

$658 R 10.7K

16.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 R 27.8K

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Johannesburg and $358 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 $183 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

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,768 in Johannesburg and $1,743 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: $419 in Johannesburg versus $358 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Johannesburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,179 per month in Johannesburg versus $1,162 in Hermanus – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,162 in Hermanus versus $1,179 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 1% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.