Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Rustenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustenburg: $810 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Rustenburg
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Rustenburg Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Rustenburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$810

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Rustenburg

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

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Johannesburg vs $810 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,406
Rustenburg $810

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,334 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,195
Rustenburg $1,334

A family of three spends $2,983 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,859 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,983
Rustenburg $1,859

Johannesburg costs about 74% more than Rustenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Rustenburg is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 R 195

$4.85 R 79.5

144.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 R 735

$45.16 R 740

-0.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 R 121

$6.49 R 106

14.02%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R 40.09

$1.68 R 27.45

45.83%

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

$1.23 R 20.10

$0.97 R 15.85

26.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.12

$0.50 R 8.21

84.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 R 40.17

$1.54 R 25.16

59.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 44.88

$2.14 R 34.99

28.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.50

$1.16 R 18.97

12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R 20.62

$1.00 R 16.46

26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.20

$1.70 R 27.90

1.18%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.13

$2.66 R 43.63

-1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R 145

$8.04 R 132

10.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 R 93.0

$5.27 R 86.3

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 R 148

$6.41 R 105

41.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R 33.99

$1.79 R 29.28

15.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.23

$1.59 R 26.01

20.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.91

$1.75 R 28.63

4.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.58

$1.13 R 18.47

81.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.89

$1.31 R 21.49

29.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.58

$1.05 R 17.20

72.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 24.69

$1.32 R 21.59

14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R 20.58

$0.88 R 14.37

43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 R 57.4

$3.08 R 50.4

13.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 R 99.5

$6.10 R 100.0

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.52

$0.58 R 9.56

210.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 R 37.80

$0.87 R 14.20

165.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 R 1,486

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.48

$0.88 R 14.44

-6.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R 15.02

$0.92 R 15.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.30 R 234

$14.27 R 234

0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 24.85

$1.43 R 23.35

6.29%

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

$35.4K R 580.0K

$30.5K R 500.5K

15.89%

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

$34.7K R 569.2K

$32.2K R 527.6K

7.88%

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

$228 R 3,732

$75.3 R 1,234

202.46%

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

$38.51 R 631

$13.30 R 218

189.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.02 R 623

$37.78 R 619

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 R 579

$38.21 R 626

-7.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.47 R 270

$6.10 R 100.0

170.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 R 139

$4.94 R 81.0

71.46%

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

$247 R 4,046

$110 R 1,797

125.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,727 R 126.6K

$7,585 R 124.3K

1.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R 952

$42.82 R 702

35.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 R 726

$45.14 R 740

-1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,846

$112 R 1,839

0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,819

$53.8 R 881

106.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,612

$333 R 5,462

57.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R 6,673

$241 R 3,949

68.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 R 17.9K

$711 R 11.7K

53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 R 14.7K

$521 R 8,528

72.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,029 R 16.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$748 R 12.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,750 R 28.7K

$1,098 R 18.0K

59.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

9.9

10.20%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$407 29%

Rustenburg

$241 29.8% 40.8% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$304 21.6%

Rustenburg

$126 15.6% 58.5% $178

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$220 15.7%

Rustenburg

$179 22% 18.9% $42

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$173 12.3%

Rustenburg

$96 11.9% 44.4% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Rustenburg

$114 14.1% 22.1% $32

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.3%

Rustenburg

$5.5 * 0.7% 94.6% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Rustenburg

$48 5.9% 8% $4.2

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 $333 in Rustenburg. 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 59% 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 $45 in Rustenburg. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Johannesburg vs $179 in Rustenburg – so Rustenburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Rustenburg

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

549,575

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Johannesburg vs Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 74% more than Rustenburg, 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 $1,215 in Rustenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rustenburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,406 in Johannesburg and $810 in Rustenburg. That makes Rustenburg about 42% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Johannesburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rustenburg, where all-in costs run around $810, than in Johannesburg at $1,406. In Rustenburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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