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: $1,142 in Johannesburg versus $864 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,779 in Johannesburg versus $1,329 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Johannesburg versus $1,793 in Howick.

Living in Johannesburg is roughly 32% more expensive than Howick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johannesburg 15% lower, Howick 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 R 184

$3.28 R 53.1

247.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.07 R 729

$28.38 R 459

58.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 R 80.2

$3.45 R 55.8

43.77%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.74

$1.90 R 30.74

19.47%

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

$1.03 R 16.71

$0.58 R 9.31

77.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.09

$0.47 R 7.58

72.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.60

$1.95 R 31.50

34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.17

$2.28 R 36.93

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.52

$1.04 R 16.78

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.59

$0.82 R 13.27

32.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.88

$1.11 R 17.90

49.55%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.54

$2.12 R 34.33

15.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 R 136

$4.94 R 79.9

70.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 R 77.8

$2.27 R 36.74

111.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R 111

$4.91 R 79.3

39.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.29

$1.50 R 24.30

12.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.57

$1.13 R 18.31

34.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.92

$1.38 R 22.30

11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.65

$1.13 R 18.27

46.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.47

$0.87 R 14.02

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.31

$1.18 R 19.06

16.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.08

$0.91 R 14.68

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.21

$0.90 R 14.50

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 48.46

$3.10 R 50.1

-3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 R 101

$4.81 R 77.7

29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.04

$1.15 R 18.57

18.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 R 25.95

$1.10 R 17.76

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 26.99

$1.63 R 26.27

2.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 R 1,149

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.65

$1.65 R 26.64

-30.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.46

$0.61 R 9.92

57.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 R 65.3

$6.75 R 109

-40.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.64

$1.19 R 19.18

1.68%

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

$22.2K R 358.9K

$14.0K R 226.1K

58.73%

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

$23.6K R 382.0K

$22.8K R 367.9K

3.83%

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

$116 R 1,875

$146 R 2,360

-20.54%

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

$39.97 R 646

$13.82 R 223

189.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 R 690

$33.73 R 545

26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 R 556

$30.89 R 499

11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.50 R 218

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 119

$5.47 R 88.4

34.00%

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

$211 R 3,405

$101 R 1,636

108.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,820 R 77.9K

$4,579 R 74.0K

5.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 811

$41.52 R 671

20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 R 540

$14.12 R 228

136.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 R 1,445

$83.0 R 1,342

7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 R 1,273

$44.18 R 714

78.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 R 6,847

$364 R 5,886

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 R 6,079

$336 R 5,424

12.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 R 14.8K

$680 R 11.0K

34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 R 11.5K

$694 R 11.2K

2.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,056 R 17.1K

$1,000 R 16.2K

5.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$770 R 12.5K

$634 R 10.2K

21.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 R 26.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

12.01

-4.16%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: June 9, 2026

Last update for Howick: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Johannesburg and $364 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Johannesburg vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $135 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,713 in Johannesburg and $1,296 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: $423 in Johannesburg versus $364 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $211 in Johannesburg versus $101 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 $28.00 versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $864 in Howick versus $1,142 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 32% less than in Johannesburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.