Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Knysna

For one person, living is cheaper in Knysna: $1,198 a month against $1,428 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Knysna
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Knysna Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,428

/mo nomad

Knysna

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Knysna

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 Knysna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,428 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,198 in Knysna, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,428
Knysna $1,198

A couple spends around $2,226 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,788 in Knysna, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,226
Knysna $1,788

A family of three spends $3,023 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,379 in Knysna, rent included.

Johannesburg $3,023
Knysna $2,379

Johannesburg costs about 19% more than Knysna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 5% above the global median, while Knysna is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 R 204

$9.64 R 159

28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.17 R 761

$39.13 R 645

17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 R 122

$5.73 R 94.5

29.49%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R 40.29

$2.11 R 34.70

16.11%

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

$1.28 R 21.09

$1.07 R 17.57

19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.08

$0.72 R 11.84

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R 38.87

$2.34 R 38.49

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 46.43

$2.78 R 45.75

1.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R 22.51

$1.19 R 19.58

15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R 20.81

$1.07 R 17.57

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.37

$1.47 R 24.27

17.01%

Eggs

$2.76 R 45.42

$2.81 R 46.24

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$8.66 R 143

3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 R 94.5

$4.90 R 80.8

17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R 151

$8.09 R 133

13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R 35.00

$1.59 R 26.22

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.87

$1.54 R 25.32

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.17

$1.60 R 26.39

14.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 R 33.92

$1.55 R 25.53

32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.63

$1.60 R 26.33

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.44

$1.39 R 22.83

28.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 R 24.22

$1.28 R 21.02

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.66

$1.03 R 17.00

27.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 R 58.2

$3.24 R 53.5

8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 R 97.7

$4.97 R 81.9

19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.49

$1.21 R 19.91

52.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R 38.34

$1.54 R 25.44

51.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 R 33.90

$1.49 R 24.49

38.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 R 1,509

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 R 14.54

$0.62 R 10.21

41.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.41

$0.56 R 9.30

55.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.78 R 243

$8.34 R 137

77.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.23

$1.41 R 23.22

8.51%

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

$35.7K R 588.6K

$23.6K R 388.8K

51.39%

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

$35.2K R 580.5K

$27.7K R 455.9K

27.32%

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

$227 R 3,743

$113 R 1,855

101.79%

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

$39.37 R 649

$33.83 R 557

16.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.62 R 620

$44.58 R 735

-15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 R 624

$48.38 R 797

-21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 R 283

$9.84 R 162

74.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 R 139

$8.76 R 144

-3.77%

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

$248 R 4,089

$182 R 3,001

36.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,491 R 90.5K

$5,898 R 97.2K

-6.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 R 991

$42.18 R 695

42.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R 742

$33.77 R 556

33.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R 1,846

$107 R 1,770

4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 R 1,849

$77.4 R 1,275

45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 R 8,550

$514 R 8,462

1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 R 6,861

$480 R 7,912

-13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 R 17.6K

$837 R 13.8K

27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$799 R 13.2K

13.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,038 R 17.1K

$1,001 R 16.5K

3.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$763 R 12.6K

$1,056 R 17.4K

-27.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 R 28.3K

$942 R 15.5K

82.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.83

-7.78%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 18, 2026

Last update for Knysna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$416 29.2%

Knysna

$480 40.1% 15.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$304 21.3%

Knysna

$191 16% 37.2% $113

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$223 15.6%

Knysna

$190 15.9% 14.8% $33

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$177 12.4%

Knysna

$144 12% 18.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$148 10.4%

Knysna

$117 9.8% 20.9% $31

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$105 7.4%

Knysna

$9.4 * 0.8% 91.1% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$55 3.8%

Knysna

$66 5.5% 20.5% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Johannesburg versus $514 in Knysna. 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 82% 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 $39.00 in Knysna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $190 – making Knysna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Knysna

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

51,078

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Johannesburg Knysna 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Johannesburg
Knysna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Knysna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 19% more than Knysna, 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 $2,142 per month in Johannesburg and $1,797 in Knysna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Knysna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,428 in Johannesburg and $1,198 in Knysna. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $248 per month in Johannesburg and $182 in Knysna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Knysna, where all-in costs run around $1,198, than in Johannesburg at $1,428. In Knysna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Knysna costs $1,198 versus $1,428 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Knysna. 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.