Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Howick Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Howick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Johannesburg versus $1,096 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,233 in Johannesburg versus $1,704 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,037 in Johannesburg versus $2,312 in Howick.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 30% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johannesburg is 4% above, Howick is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.66 R 205

$7.61 R 123

66.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.32 R 798

$39.44 R 638

25.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 R 120

$5.68 R 91.8

30.11%

Cappuccino

$2.61 R 42.22

$2.85 R 46.05

-8.42%

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

$1.23 R 19.98

$1.13 R 18.30

8.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 15.97

$0.95 R 15.32

4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 R 34.97

$2.57 R 41.60

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R 44.53

$2.60 R 42.11

5.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R 21.90

$1.25 R 20.29

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.61

$1.07 R 17.31

18.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.02

$1.56 R 25.30

19.23%

Eggs

$2.68 R 43.34

$2.46 R 39.83

8.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 R 152

$8.59 R 139

9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 R 92.3

$5.35 R 86.6

6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 R 143

$7.24 R 117

21.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 R 35.73

$2.00 R 32.41

10.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 31.70

$1.99 R 32.13

-1.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.59

$2.05 R 33.16

-10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 R 35.38

$1.72 R 27.77

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.72

$1.60 R 25.82

11.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.35

$1.46 R 23.54

28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 R 24.81

$1.26 R 20.38

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.16

$1.24 R 20.05

5.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 R 54.2

$3.82 R 61.9

-12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 R 103

$5.01 R 81.1

26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R 29.77

$1.52 R 24.64

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 R 39.28

$1.98 R 32.11

22.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 R 35.26

$1.65 R 26.72

32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.5 R 1,513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 R 15.84

$0.49 R 7.96

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.59

$0.77 R 12.40

16.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 R 242

$7.97 R 129

87.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 24.87

$1.39 R 22.47

10.79%

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

$36.5K R 589.8K

$36.6K R 591.6K

-0.29%

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

$33.0K R 533.3K

$32.8K R 530.5K

0.52%

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

$229 R 3,704

$143 R 2,318

59.81%

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

$39.48 R 639

$15.71 R 254

151.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.82 R 628

$40.22 R 651

-3.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 R 600

$30.36 R 491

22.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 R 292

Cinema Ticket

$8.36 R 135

$7.10 R 115

17.75%

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

$253 R 4,085

$325 R 5,260

-22.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,708 R 92.3K

$7,921 R 128.2K

-27.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 R 958

$56.3 R 911

5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 R 780

$30.93 R 500

55.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,798

$101 R 1,628

10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,790

$89.5 R 1,448

23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 R 8,376

$387 R 6,263

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 R 6,999

$391 R 6,318

10.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 R 17.2K

$832 R 13.5K

27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 R 14.6K

$750 R 12.1K

20.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,010 R 16.3K

$1,017 R 16.4K

-0.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 R 12.7K

$667 R 10.8K

17.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 R 28.2K

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 8, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Johannesburg and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Johannesburg vs $39.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $202 per month, with Howick 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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,145 in Johannesburg and $1,644 in Howick 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: $518 in Johannesburg versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Johannesburg versus $325 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $49.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,430 in Johannesburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Johannesburg. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick 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 Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.