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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,435 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,150 in Kimberley, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,252 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,948 in Kimberley, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,069 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,747 in Kimberley, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 25% more than Kimberley, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Kimberley is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.61 R 202

$12.56 R 201

0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.05 R 736

$37.73 R 603

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 R 120

$6.11 R 97.8

22.91%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R 39.82

$3.21 R 51.3

-22.43%

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

$1.26 R 20.23

$1.38 R 22.09

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.07

$1.35 R 21.56

-30.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 R 33.11

$2.73 R 43.69

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.24

$2.85 R 45.57

-2.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 21.79

$1.64 R 26.17

-17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.57

$1.20 R 19.21

7.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.27

$3.11 R 49.70

-41.16%

Eggs

$2.68 R 42.86

$2.95 R 47.17

-9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 R 149

$6.80 R 109

37.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 R 96.0

$6.26 R 100

-4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 R 146

$8.85 R 142

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 R 35.97

$2.40 R 38.37

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.25

$2.57 R 41.16

-24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.09

$1.78 R 28.52

2.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 R 34.08

$3.38 R 54.0

-36.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.66

$1.52 R 24.32

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 R 29.95

$1.54 R 24.63

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 24.14

$1.36 R 21.76

11.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 21.44

$0.95 R 15.22

41.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 R 54.4

$3.29 R 52.6

3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 96.8

$6.85 R 110

-11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 29.76

$2.36 R 37.66

-21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.14

$2.99 R 47.79

-18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 R 34.08

$1.59 R 25.46

33.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 R 1,501

$34.25 R 548

174.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 R 14.43

$0.64 R 10.31

40.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.10

$0.91 R 14.59

3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 R 243

$9.11 R 146

66.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 24.56

$1.49 R 23.84

3.36%

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

$36.4K R 581.6K

$36.4K R 581.7K

-0.01%

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

$32.9K R 525.6K

$32.7K R 523.0K

0.50%

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

$222 R 3,552

$109 R 1,737

104.53%

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

$38.73 R 619

$35.86 R 574

8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.69 R 635

$42.79 R 684

-7.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.29 R 612

$23.00 R 368

66.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 R 279

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 R 128

$7.37 R 118

8.41%

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

$248 R 3,964

$261 R 4,167

-4.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 R 91.9K

$5,764 R 92.2K

-0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R 958

$54.0 R 863

10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 R 768

$34.57 R 553

38.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,748

$106 R 1,692

3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,760

$95.3 R 1,524

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 R 8,731

$273 R 4,366

100.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 R 7,081

$341 R 5,447

30.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 R 17.7K

$660 R 10.6K

67.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 R 15.0K

$981 R 15.7K

-4.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.3K

$885 R 14.2K

15.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$773 R 12.4K

$645 R 10.3K

19.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,787 R 28.6K

$970 R 15.5K

84.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

-0.82%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $546 in Johannesburg versus $273 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 84% 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 $46.00 in Johannesburg versus $38.00 in Kimberley. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Johannesburg vs $238 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 25% 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 $2,152 per month in Johannesburg and $1,724 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 $46.00 in Johannesburg and $38.00 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 $1,435 in Johannesburg and $1,150 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 $1,150, than in Johannesburg at $1,435. 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 $1,150 versus $1,435 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.