Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Margate, South Africa

For one person, living is cheaper in Margate: $883 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Margate
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Margate Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Margate

🇿🇦 South Africa

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Margate

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

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Johannesburg vs $883 in Margate, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,406
Margate $883

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,419 in Margate, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,195
Margate $1,419

A family of three spends $2,983 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,956 in Margate, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,983
Margate $1,956

Johannesburg costs about 59% more than Margate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Margate is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 R 197

$8.41 R 139

41.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 R 744

$36.18 R 600

23.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 R 123

$6.15 R 102

20.33%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R 40.60

$1.86 R 30.86

31.72%

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

$1.23 R 20.36

$1.03 R 17.10

19.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.31

$0.82 R 13.65

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 R 40.68

$2.44 R 40.48

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 45.44

$2.31 R 38.27

18.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.77

$0.99 R 16.37

32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R 20.88

$0.89 R 14.79

41.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.56

$1.07 R 17.71

60.75%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.68

$2.30 R 38.17

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R 147

$5.27 R 87.5

68.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 R 94.2

$3.49 R 57.9

62.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 R 150

$5.81 R 96.4

55.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R 34.42

$1.19 R 19.82

73.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.63

$1.17 R 19.49

63.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$1.07 R 17.71

71.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R 34.01

$1.38 R 22.97

48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.24

$1.02 R 16.93

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.95

$1.26 R 20.94

43.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 25.00

$1.14 R 18.88

32.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R 20.83

$0.97 R 16.11

29.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 R 58.1

$1.62 R 26.87

116.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 R 101

$3.62 R 60.0

67.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.90

$1.49 R 24.70

20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 R 38.28

$1.96 R 32.45

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.92

$1.65 R 27.45

-1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 R 1,505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.65

$0.40 R 6.70

105.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R 15.21

$0.75 R 12.51

22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.30 R 237

$7.80 R 129

83.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 25.17

$1.34 R 22.27

13.43%

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

$35.4K R 587.3K

$35.3K R 585.1K

0.39%

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

$34.7K R 576.4K

$34.1K R 565.3K

1.96%

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

$228 R 3,780

$61.0 R 1,013

273.28%

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

$38.51 R 639

$18.22 R 302

111.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.02 R 631

$32.75 R 543

16.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 R 586

$31.51 R 523

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.47 R 273

$11.19 R 186

47.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 R 141

$4.28 R 71.0

97.90%

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

$247 R 4,097

$316 R 5,246

-21.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,727 R 128.2K

$7,369 R 122.3K

4.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R 964

$53.2 R 882

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 R 735

$18.09 R 300

144.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,869

$72.0 R 1,194

56.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,842

$48.72 R 808

127.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,721

$389 R 6,448

35.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R 6,757

$354 R 5,870

15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 R 18.1K

$720 R 11.9K

51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 R 14.9K

$731 R 12.1K

23.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,029 R 17.1K

$772 R 12.8K

33.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$748 R 12.4K

$671 R 11.1K

11.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,750 R 29.0K

$1,479 R 24.5K

18.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.7

-6.75%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Margate: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$407 29%

Margate

$354 40.1% 13.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$304 21.6%

Margate

$112 12.7% 63.2% $192

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$220 15.7%

Margate

$148 16.7% 33% $73

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$173 12.3%

Margate

$132 15% 23.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Margate

$86 9.8% 41.1% $60

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.3%

Margate

$11 * 1.2% 89.5% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Margate

$40 4.5% 23.4% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $389 in Margate. 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 18% 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 in Johannesburg versus $36 in Margate. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $148 – making Margate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Margate

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

34,407

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Johannesburg Margate 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 59% more than Margate, 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 $2,110 per month in Johannesburg and $1,324 in Margate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $389 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,406 in Johannesburg and $883 in Margate. That makes Margate about 37% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $247 per month in Johannesburg and $316 in Margate. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,406 in Johannesburg and $883 in Margate. 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 $883 in Margate to $1,406 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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