Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Kempton Park

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempton Park: $1,231 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Kempton Park
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Kempton Park Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Kempton Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Kempton Park

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Johannesburg and in Kempton Park actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,410 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,231 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,410
Kempton Park $1,231

A couple spends around $2,182 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,889 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,182
Kempton Park $1,889

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,547 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,954
Kempton Park $2,547

Johannesburg costs about 15% more than Kempton Park, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Kempton Park is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 R 199

$9.01 R 150

32.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.33 R 739

$37.26 R 621

18.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 R 124

$5.98 R 99.7

24.08%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R 39.81

$2.42 R 40.35

-1.24%

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

$1.21 R 20.22

$1.04 R 17.25

16.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.94

$0.81 R 13.58

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.37

$2.47 R 41.13

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R 44.42

$2.82 R 47.02

-5.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.55

$1.36 R 22.73

-5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.90

$1.10 R 18.25

8.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.41

$1.82 R 30.38

-6.59%

Eggs

$2.75 R 45.83

$2.53 R 42.14

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 R 145

$8.51 R 142

2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 92.7

$5.30 R 88.2

4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 R 149

$9.17 R 153

-2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.64

$1.87 R 31.22

11.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.18

$1.73 R 28.91

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.87

$1.77 R 29.46

-2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 R 35.01

$1.98 R 32.99

6.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.39

$1.74 R 28.96

-2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.75

$1.76 R 29.32

1.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.83

$1.24 R 20.59

20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.56

$1.29 R 21.49

-4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 R 58.1

$3.38 R 56.3

2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 102

$5.30 R 88.3

15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 31.05

$1.66 R 27.63

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R 39.98

$2.42 R 40.30

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.74

$1.56 R 26.05

14.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,484

$61.1 R 1,017

45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.54

$0.31 R 5.17

161.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.47

$0.82 R 13.67

6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 R 239

$14.51 R 242

-1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.47

$1.55 R 25.84

-1.29%

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

$35.5K R 591.0K

$36.3K R 604.9K

-2.30%

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

$34.0K R 566.8K

$34.1K R 568.7K

-0.33%

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

$224 R 3,727

$182 R 3,032

22.90%

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

$39.12 R 652

$39.32 R 655

-0.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.93 R 615

$38.46 R 641

-3.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 R 591

$38.63 R 644

-8.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 290

$11.06 R 184

57.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 R 138

$8.46 R 141

-2.01%

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

$240 R 3,996

$263 R 4,384

-8.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.2K

$5,524 R 92.1K

-0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 R 966

$53.5 R 891

8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.96 R 749

$33.01 R 550

36.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,855

$91.9 R 1,531

21.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 R 1,875

$84.1 R 1,402

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,770

$306 R 5,105

71.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,990

$370 R 6,173

13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$750 R 12.5K

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 R 14.7K

$750 R 12.5K

17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.3K

$862 R 14.4K

20.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

$690 R 11.5K

6.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 R 28.5K

$630 R 10.5K

171.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.25

-3.02%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$419 29.8%

Kempton Park

$370 30.1% 11.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$300 21.3%

Kempton Park

$260 21.1% 13.3% $40

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.5%

Kempton Park

$211 17.2% 3% $6.6

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$172 12.2%

Kempton Park

$144 11.7% 16.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Kempton Park

$118 9.6% 19.7% $29

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$101 7.2%

Kempton Park

$72 5.8% 29.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Kempton Park

$56 4.5% 6.7% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $306 in Kempton Park. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johannesburg are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg versus $37 in Kempton Park. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $211 – making Kempton Park the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Kempton Park

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 15% more than Kempton Park, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,115 per month in Johannesburg and $1,847 in Kempton Park. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kempton Park, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $306 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg and $37 in Kempton Park. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,231 in Kempton Park. That makes Kempton Park about 13% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,231 in Kempton Park. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Johannesburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,231 in Kempton Park to $1,410 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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