Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and St Francis Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and St Francis Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,425 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,052 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,190 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,736 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,955 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,421 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 35% more than St Francis Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while St Francis Bay is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 R 202

$11.21 R 182

10.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 R 784

$43.44 R 706

11.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R 118

$3.69 R 59.9

97.02%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R 40.87

$2.13 R 34.63

18.31%

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

$1.17 R 18.97

$1.10 R 17.81

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.76

$0.79 R 12.85

22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 36.58

$2.14 R 34.83

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 45.84

$1.86 R 30.23

51.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.07

$0.92 R 14.88

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.82

$1.08 R 17.56

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.11

$1.55 R 25.21

15.48%

Eggs

$2.72 R 44.27

$2.87 R 46.62

-5.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 R 140

$7.56 R 123

13.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 R 93.6

$5.49 R 89.1

4.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.08 R 148

$8.90 R 145

2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.85

$2.19 R 35.58

-2.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.84

$1.60 R 26.03

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.49

$1.74 R 28.34

8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 R 32.41

$1.80 R 29.24

10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.34

$1.74 R 28.21

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.77

$1.44 R 23.35

22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 R 23.41

$1.30 R 21.08

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.14

$1.01 R 16.42

28.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.0

$3.28 R 53.2

1.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 R 100

$5.04 R 81.8

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 R 30.88

$1.27 R 20.70

49.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R 39.17

$1.81 R 29.47

33.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 R 33.72

$1.59 R 25.79

30.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 R 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.15

$0.61 R 9.88

52.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.37

$0.51 R 8.33

72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 R 243

$8.50 R 138

76.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.44

$1.36 R 22.15

10.29%

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

$36.9K R 598.9K

$21.1K R 342.6K

74.79%

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

$32.0K R 520.4K

$35.1K R 570.9K

-8.86%

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

$218 R 3,535

$62.8 R 1,021

246.40%

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

$38.57 R 627

$35.85 R 582

7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.70 R 596

$44.63 R 725

-17.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 R 599

$33.06 R 537

11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 R 282

$12.37 R 201

40.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.52 R 138

$9.20 R 149

-7.39%

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

$247 R 4,005

$183 R 2,972

34.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,495 R 89.3K

$6,461 R 105.0K

-14.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 R 937

$73.2 R 1,189

-21.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 R 776

$38.76 R 630

23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,763

$117 R 1,893

-6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,747

$98.1 R 1,593

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,551

$434 R 7,054

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,174

$368 R 5,982

19.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 R 17.1K

$815 R 13.2K

29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 R 14.4K

$788 R 12.8K

12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 R 16.3K

$909 R 14.8K

10.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.3K

$696 R 11.3K

8.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 R 28.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.94

-8.63%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for St Francis Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $434 in St Francis Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Johannesburg versus $43.00 in St Francis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $196 – making St Francis Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 St Francis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 35% more than St Francis Bay, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,137 per month in Johannesburg and $1,578 in St Francis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Francis Bay, 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 $1,425 in Johannesburg and $1,052 in St Francis Bay. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $247 per month in Johannesburg and $183 in St Francis Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St Francis Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Johannesburg at $1,425. In St Francis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. St Francis Bay costs $1,052 versus $1,425 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 St Francis Bay. 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.