Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Polokwane

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $949 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Polokwane

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

A single person spends $1,410 per month in Johannesburg vs $949 in Polokwane, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,410
Polokwane $949

A couple spends around $2,182 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,407 in Polokwane, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,182
Polokwane $1,407

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,865 in Polokwane, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,954
Polokwane $1,865

Johannesburg costs about 49% more than Polokwane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Polokwane is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 R 198

$11.86 R 197

0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.33 R 738

$30.62 R 509

44.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 R 124

$7.08 R 118

4.80%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R 39.74

$2.37 R 39.45

0.84%

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

$1.21 R 20.19

$0.71 R 11.84

70.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.91

$0.91 R 15.15

5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.31

$1.66 R 27.64

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R 44.35

$1.85 R 30.76

44.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.52

$1.35 R 22.46

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.87

$1.13 R 18.76

5.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.36

$1.71 R 28.42

-0.58%

Eggs

$2.75 R 45.76

$2.63 R 43.76

4.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 R 144

$7.62 R 127

13.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 92.6

$4.60 R 76.5

20.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 R 148

$6.16 R 102

44.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.58

$1.92 R 32.01

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.13

$1.88 R 31.31

-3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.82

$1.81 R 30.09

-4.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 R 34.95

$1.95 R 32.43

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.34

$1.66 R 27.54

2.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.70

$1.51 R 25.10

18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.79

$1.13 R 18.76

31.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.53

$0.82 R 13.63

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 R 58.0

$2.67 R 44.37

30.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 102

$4.58 R 76.2

33.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 31.00

$1.16 R 19.23

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R 39.91

$1.59 R 26.40

50.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.69

$0.88 R 14.69

102.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,481

$29.59 R 492

200.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.52

$0.81 R 13.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.45

$0.88 R 14.57

-1.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 R 238

$14.14 R 235

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.43

$1.41 R 23.48

8.51%

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

$35.5K R 590.0K

$25.5K R 424.3K

39.06%

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

$34.0K R 565.9K

$28.5K R 474.0K

19.39%

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

$224 R 3,721

$138 R 2,293

62.25%

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

$39.12 R 651

$38.04 R 633

2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.93 R 614

$32.87 R 547

12.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 R 590

$22.55 R 375

57.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 290

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 R 138

$8.31 R 138

-0.24%

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

$240 R 3,990

$181 R 3,018

32.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.0K

$1,446 R 24.1K

278.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 R 965

$46.25 R 769

25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.96 R 748

$37.70 R 627

19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,852

$80.5 R 1,339

38.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 R 1,872

$93.3 R 1,552

20.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,756

$288 R 4,789

82.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,979

$199 R 3,306

111.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$422 R 7,022

160.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 R 14.7K

$283 R 4,709

212.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 R 28.4K

$1,366 R 22.7K

25.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$419 29.8%

Polokwane

$199 20.9% 52.6% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$300 21.3%

Polokwane

$209 22% 30.3% $91

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.5%

Polokwane

$185 19.5% 15.2% $33

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$172 12.2%

Polokwane

$163 17.2% 5.5% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Polokwane

$116 12.2% 21.1% $31

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$101 7.2%

Polokwane

$38 4% 62.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 24.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $288 in Polokwane. 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 25% 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 $44 in Johannesburg versus $31 in Polokwane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $185 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

628,999

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 49% more than Polokwane, 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 $2,115 per month in Johannesburg and $1,423 in Polokwane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Polokwane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg and $31 in Polokwane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,410 in Johannesburg and $949 in Polokwane. That makes Polokwane about 33% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,410 in Johannesburg and $949 in Polokwane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – 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 Polokwane. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.