Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Tembisa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tembisa: $1,105 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Tembisa
Learn more

Tembisa Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Tembisa

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Tembisa

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

A single person spends $1,410 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,105 in Tembisa, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,410
Tembisa $1,105

A couple spends around $2,182 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,734 in Tembisa, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,182
Tembisa $1,734

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,363 in Tembisa, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,954
Tembisa $2,363

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 R 199

$9.69 R 161

23.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.33 R 739

$39.77 R 663

11.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 R 124

$5.82 R 97.0

27.49%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R 39.81

$2.31 R 38.53

3.46%

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

$1.21 R 20.22

$1.10 R 18.29

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.94

$0.83 R 13.79

15.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.37

$2.41 R 40.12

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R 44.42

$2.80 R 46.70

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.55

$1.17 R 19.53

10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.90

$1.10 R 18.37

8.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.41

$1.82 R 30.35

-6.59%

Eggs

$2.75 R 45.83

$2.54 R 42.40

8.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 R 145

$8.39 R 140

3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 92.7

$4.91 R 81.9

13.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 R 149

$7.19 R 120

24.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.64

$1.81 R 30.09

14.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.18

$1.69 R 28.11

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.87

$1.73 R 28.76

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 R 35.01

$1.66 R 27.71

26.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.39

$1.46 R 24.26

16.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.75

$1.45 R 24.12

23.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.83

$1.24 R 20.62

20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.56

$1.16 R 19.41

6.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 R 58.1

$3.33 R 55.4

4.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 102

$5.03 R 83.8

21.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 31.05

$1.39 R 23.20

33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R 39.98

$1.97 R 32.84

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.74

$1.56 R 26.03

14.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.54

$0.64 R 10.61

26.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.47

$0.93 R 15.53

-6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 R 239

$11.73 R 195

22.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.47

$1.48 R 24.63

3.38%

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

$35.5K R 591.0K

$36.3K R 604.7K

-2.26%

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

$34.0K R 566.8K

$33.3K R 554.9K

2.15%

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

$224 R 3,727

$149 R 2,479

50.34%

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

$39.12 R 652

$35.37 R 589

10.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.93 R 615

$37.16 R 619

-0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 R 591

$32.03 R 534

10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 290

$10.74 R 179

62.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 R 138

$7.37 R 123

12.48%

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

$240 R 3,996

$247 R 4,116

-2.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.2K

$5,513 R 91.9K

-0.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 R 966

$54.4 R 906

6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.96 R 749

$33.07 R 551

35.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,855

$101 R 1,687

9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 R 1,875

$89.2 R 1,486

26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,770

$392 R 6,537

34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,990

$359 R 5,987

16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$746 R 12.4K

47.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 R 14.7K

$753 R 12.5K

17.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.3K

$877 R 14.6K

18.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

$682 R 11.4K

7.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 R 28.5K

$566 R 9,430

202.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

10.94

-0.27%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$419 29.8%

Tembisa

$359 32.5% 14.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$300 21.3%

Tembisa

$221 20% 26.2% $78

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.5%

Tembisa

$193 17.5% 11.4% $25

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$172 12.2%

Tembisa

$148 13.4% 14.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Tembisa

$125 11.3% 15% $22

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$101 7.2%

Tembisa

$12 * 1% 88.6% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Tembisa

$47 4.2% 10.2% $5.3

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 $392 in Tembisa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johannesburg are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg versus $40 in Tembisa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $193 – making Tembisa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Tembisa

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

463,109

💱 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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Tembisa, 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 $1,658 in Tembisa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tembisa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $392 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,105 in Tembisa. That makes Tembisa about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $240 per month in Johannesburg and $247 in Tembisa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Johannesburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,105 in Tembisa to $1,410 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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