Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Sun City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sun City: $1,270 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Sun City
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Sun City Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Sun City

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Sun City

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

A single person spends $1,410 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,270 in Sun City, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,410
Sun City $1,270

A couple spends around $2,182 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,953 in Sun City, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,182
Sun City $1,953

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,636 in Sun City, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,954
Sun City $2,636

Johannesburg costs about 11% more than Sun City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Sun City is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 R 199

$11.96 R 199

-0.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.33 R 739

$46.28 R 771

-4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 R 124

$7.46 R 124

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R 39.81

$2.50 R 41.70

-4.40%

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

$1.21 R 20.22

$1.26 R 21.01

-3.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.94

$0.99 R 16.47

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.37

$2.45 R 40.80

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R 44.42

$2.76 R 46.01

-3.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.55

$1.33 R 22.14

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.90

$1.20 R 20.05

-0.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.41

$1.73 R 28.85

-1.73%

Eggs

$2.75 R 45.83

$2.79 R 46.42

-1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 R 145

$8.93 R 149

-2.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 92.7

$5.65 R 94.1

-1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 R 149

$8.75 R 146

1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.64

$2.10 R 35.07

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.18

$1.87 R 31.17

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.87

$1.82 R 30.35

-4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 R 35.01

$2.14 R 35.68

-1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.39

$1.65 R 27.43

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.75

$1.79 R 29.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.83

$1.45 R 24.20

2.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.56

$1.30 R 21.70

-5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 R 58.1

$3.51 R 58.5

-0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 102

$6.02 R 100

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 31.05

$1.81 R 30.11

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R 39.98

$2.31 R 38.43

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.74

$1.55 R 25.83

14.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.54

$0.88 R 14.68

-7.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.47

$0.95 R 15.82

-8.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 R 239

$14.33 R 239

-0.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.47

$1.56 R 26.08

-1.92%

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

$35.5K R 591.0K

$35.8K R 596.0K

-0.84%

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

$34.0K R 566.8K

$34.8K R 580.3K

-2.33%

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

$224 R 3,727

$229 R 3,823

-2.52%

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

$39.12 R 652

$38.97 R 649

0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.93 R 615

$37.57 R 626

-1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 R 591

$32.51 R 542

9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 290

$11.11 R 185

56.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 R 138

$8.49 R 142

-2.36%

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

$240 R 3,996

$246 R 4,106

-2.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.2K

$5,591 R 93.2K

-2.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 R 966

$58.9 R 982

-1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.96 R 749

$45.49 R 758

-1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,855

$115 R 1,922

-3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 R 1,875

$111 R 1,854

1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,770

$397 R 6,607

32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,990

$359 R 5,982

16.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$724 R 12.1K

51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 R 14.7K

$727 R 12.1K

21.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.3K

$874 R 14.6K

18.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

$681 R 11.3K

7.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 R 28.5K

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 Sun City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$419 29.8%

Sun City

$359 28.3% 14.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$300 21.3%

Sun City

$306 24.1% 2.1% $6.3

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.5%

Sun City

$220 17.3% 1.1% $2.3

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$172 12.2%

Sun City

$175 13.8% 1.4% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Sun City

$149 11.7% 1.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$101 7.2%

Sun City

$12 * 0.9% 88.3% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Sun City

$50 3.9% 4.9% $2.6

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 $397 in Sun City. 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 $44 in Johannesburg versus $46 in Sun City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $220 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Sun City

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

1,556

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 11% more than Sun City, 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 $1,905 in Sun City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sun City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,270 in Sun City. That makes Sun City about 10% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg and $46 in Sun City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,270 in Sun City. 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 $1,270 in Sun City to $1,410 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.