Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Hillcrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Hillcrest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,425 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,110 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,190 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,730 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,955 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,350 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Hillcrest is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 R 202

$7.64 R 124

62.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 R 784

$38.61 R 627

25.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R 118

$6.32 R 103

15.03%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R 40.87

$2.86 R 46.49

-11.89%

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

$1.17 R 18.97

$1.18 R 19.09

-0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.76

$0.87 R 14.19

11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 36.58

$2.56 R 41.55

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 45.84

$2.73 R 44.40

3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.07

$1.29 R 20.98

5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.82

$1.01 R 16.42

26.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.11

$1.62 R 26.25

10.49%

Eggs

$2.72 R 44.27

$2.45 R 39.85

11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 R 140

$8.34 R 135

3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 R 93.6

$5.34 R 86.8

7.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.08 R 148

$7.14 R 116

27.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.85

$1.27 R 20.67

68.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.84

$1.90 R 30.86

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.49

$1.97 R 31.97

-4.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 R 32.41

$1.66 R 26.91

19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.34

$1.54 R 24.95

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.77

$1.45 R 23.58

22.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 R 23.41

$1.21 R 19.71

19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.14

$1.19 R 19.41

9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.0

$3.69 R 59.9

-10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 R 100

$4.98 R 80.9

23.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 R 30.88

$1.52 R 24.72

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R 39.17

$2.00 R 32.45

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 R 33.72

$1.52 R 24.77

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 R 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.15

$0.45 R 7.38

106.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.37

$0.77 R 12.52

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 R 243

$7.77 R 126

92.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.44

$1.49 R 24.13

0.67%

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

$36.9K R 598.9K

$37.2K R 604.1K

-0.87%

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

$32.0K R 520.4K

$33.2K R 539.4K

-3.53%

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

$218 R 3,535

$143 R 2,326

52.03%

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

$38.57 R 627

$35.30 R 574

9.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.70 R 596

$40.45 R 657

-9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 R 599

$32.69 R 531

12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 R 282

Cinema Ticket

$8.52 R 138

$6.92 R 112

23.12%

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

$247 R 4,005

$330 R 5,358

-25.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,495 R 89.3K

$7,825 R 127.1K

-29.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 R 937

$56.8 R 922

1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 R 776

$30.12 R 489

58.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,763

$99.7 R 1,620

8.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,747

$88.7 R 1,440

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,551

$436 R 7,077

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,174

$382 R 6,204

15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 R 17.1K

$800 R 13.0K

31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 R 14.4K

$759 R 12.3K

16.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 R 16.3K

$888 R 14.4K

13.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.3K

$701 R 11.4K

7.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 R 28.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.81

-7.62%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $436 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Johannesburg versus $39.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $195 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,425 in Johannesburg, $1,110 in Hillcrest – roughly 28% apart. Johannesburg costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,137 per month in Johannesburg and $1,664 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Johannesburg and $39.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Johannesburg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,110, than in Johannesburg at $1,425. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hillcrest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,110 in Hillcrest to $1,425 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.