Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Kimberley Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Kimberley

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,179 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,038 in Kimberley, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,752 in Kimberley, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,442 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,466 in Kimberley, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 14% more than Kimberley, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Johannesburg and Kimberley are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 12% lower, Kimberley 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$11.10 R 181

-0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 R 735

$33.16 R 541

35.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.1

$5.64 R 92.1

-12.94%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 37.04

$2.75 R 44.88

-17.45%

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

$0.99 R 16.13

$1.24 R 20.15

-20.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.63

$1.21 R 19.83

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.97

$2.51 R 40.93

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.29

$2.59 R 42.22

-2.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.34

$1.49 R 24.25

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.22

$1.07 R 17.42

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.70

$2.79 R 45.59

-39.07%

Eggs

$2.52 R 41.07

$2.74 R 44.72

-8.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 136

$5.90 R 96.3

41.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.3

$5.41 R 88.2

-13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R 109

$7.97 R 130

-16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.36

$2.07 R 33.71

-18.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.14

$2.17 R 35.47

-31.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$1.51 R 24.69

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.88

$3.12 R 50.8

-49.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.28

$2.26 R 36.87

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.84

$1.21 R 19.67

20.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.28

$1.23 R 20.13

-13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.32

$0.82 R 13.43

7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.51

$2.86 R 46.75

5.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 R 99.7

$6.60 R 108

-7.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.12

$2.14 R 34.87

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.24

$2.61 R 42.60

-36.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.99

$1.69 R 27.59

1.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 R 1,125

$31.03 R 506

122.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 17.95

$0.66 R 10.70

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.43

$0.94 R 15.35

1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 66.4

$3.99 R 65.1

2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.94

$1.33 R 21.70

-3.76%

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

$22.6K R 368.5K

$21.5K R 351.0K

4.99%

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

$24.4K R 397.6K

$23.5K R 383.3K

3.74%

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

$119 R 1,937

$96.2 R 1,570

23.33%

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

$39.96 R 652

$38.82 R 634

2.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 707

$45.57 R 744

-4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 R 549

$21.26 R 347

58.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 R 228

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R 121

$6.75 R 110

9.63%

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

$206 R 3,368

$157 R 2,559

31.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,959 R 80.9K

$4,319 R 70.5K

14.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 836

$34.09 R 556

50.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 R 555

$31.86 R 520

6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,500

$82.8 R 1,352

10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,286

$79.5 R 1,298

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,845

$249 R 4,068

68.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,063

$311 R 5,079

19.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R 15.0K

$584 R 9,525

57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.7K

$883 R 14.4K

-18.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,063 R 17.3K

$989 R 16.1K

7.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R 12.5K

$640 R 10.4K

19.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 R 28.0K

$958 R 15.6K

78.90%

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 Kimberley: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Johannesburg versus $249 in Kimberley. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Johannesburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $33.00 in Kimberley. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Johannesburg vs $214 in Kimberley – so Johannesburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 14% more than Kimberley, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,768 per month in Johannesburg and $1,557 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg and $33.00 in Kimberley. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,179 in Johannesburg and $1,038 in Kimberley. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Johannesburg at $1,179. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kimberley costs $1,038 versus $1,179 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Kimberley. 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.