Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Middelburg, South Africa

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,099 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
Learn more

Middelburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Middelburg

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

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,099 in Middelburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,406
Middelburg $1,099

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,695 in Middelburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,195
Middelburg $1,695

A family of three spends $2,983 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,291 in Middelburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,983
Middelburg $2,291

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Middelburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Middelburg is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 R 196

$9.53 R 157

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 R 738

$35.98 R 592

24.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 R 122

$5.87 R 96.5

26.06%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R 40.26

$1.29 R 21.26

89.92%

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

$1.23 R 20.19

$0.83 R 13.58

48.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.18

$0.64 R 10.54

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 R 40.34

$1.17 R 19.28

109.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 45.06

$1.52 R 25.01

80.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.59

$1.17 R 19.20

11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R 20.70

$1.04 R 17.14

21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.32

$1.46 R 24.09

17.81%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.31

$1.70 R 28.00

54.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R 146

$5.76 R 94.8

53.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 R 93.4

$4.96 R 81.6

14.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 R 149

$6.60 R 109

36.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R 34.13

$1.66 R 27.35

24.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.36

$1.08 R 17.79

76.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.03

$1.12 R 18.42

63.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.72

$1.24 R 20.35

65.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.01

$1.73 R 28.38

-1.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.70

$1.23 R 20.27

47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 24.79

$1.24 R 20.37

21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R 20.66

$1.04 R 17.10

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 R 57.6

$2.39 R 39.37

46.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 R 99.9

$4.80 R 78.9

26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.64

$1.76 R 28.99

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 R 37.95

$2.06 R 33.85

12.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.69

$1.42 R 23.40

14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 R 1,492

$42.88 R 705

111.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.53

$0.94 R 15.45

-12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R 15.08

$0.74 R 12.24

24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.30 R 235

$11.57 R 190

23.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 24.95

$1.33 R 21.95

14.29%

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

$35.4K R 582.4K

$34.3K R 563.7K

3.32%

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

$34.7K R 571.5K

$31.9K R 525.0K

8.86%

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

$228 R 3,748

$151 R 2,487

50.70%

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

$38.51 R 634

$35.28 R 580

9.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.02 R 625

$37.41 R 615

1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 R 581

$32.36 R 532

9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.47 R 271

$12.35 R 203

33.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 R 139

$6.25 R 103

35.52%

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

$247 R 4,063

$236 R 3,879

4.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,727 R 127.1K

$6,077 R 100.0K

27.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R 956

$53.1 R 874

9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 R 729

$31.79 R 523

39.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,853

$98.9 R 1,626

13.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,826

$86.8 R 1,427

27.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,647

$398 R 6,546

32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R 6,700

$361 R 5,944

12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 R 18.0K

$719 R 11.8K

51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 R 14.8K

$728 R 12.0K

23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,029 R 16.9K

$757 R 12.5K

35.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$748 R 12.3K

$670 R 11.0K

11.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,750 R 28.8K

$1,193 R 19.6K

46.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

10.92

-0.09%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$407 29%

Middelburg

$361 32.9% 11.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$304 21.6%

Middelburg

$224 20.4% 26.4% $80

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$220 15.7%

Middelburg

$170 15.4% 22.9% $50

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$173 12.3%

Middelburg

$124 11.3% 28.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Middelburg

$122 11.1% 17% $25

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.3%

Middelburg

$53 4.8% 48.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Middelburg

$45 4.1% 14.2% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $398 in Middelburg. 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 47% higher in Johannesburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Johannesburg versus $36 in Middelburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $170 – making Middelburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

87,348

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Johannesburg Middelburg 150 km

From you

Johannesburg
Middelburg

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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Middelburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,648 in Middelburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middelburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $398 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Johannesburg and $36 in Middelburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,406 in Johannesburg and $1,099 in Middelburg. That makes Middelburg about 22% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,406 in Johannesburg and $1,099 in Middelburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Middelburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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