Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Uitenhage Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Uitenhage

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,004 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,559 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,470 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,114 in Uitenhage, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 14% more than Uitenhage, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Johannesburg and Uitenhage are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 14% lower, Uitenhage 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 R 182

$8.74 R 144

26.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.96 R 739

$33.50 R 551

34.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 R 82.0

$5.01 R 82.4

-0.40%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 37.37

$2.08 R 34.19

9.13%

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

$1.04 R 17.04

$0.98 R 16.18

6.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.59

$0.82 R 13.50

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.29

$2.29 R 37.61

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.08

$2.56 R 42.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.98

$1.16 R 19.05

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.89

$1.04 R 17.12

4.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.22

$1.64 R 26.93

1.22%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.19

$2.49 R 40.94

-1.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 140

$7.89 R 130

7.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 77.0

$4.48 R 73.7

4.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 R 107

$6.57 R 108

-0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.46

$1.62 R 26.60

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.33

$1.54 R 25.34

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.23

$1.48 R 24.30

-0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.54

$1.64 R 27.02

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.80

$1.33 R 21.81

9.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.69

$1.19 R 19.57

21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.24

$1.05 R 17.21

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.66

$0.93 R 15.25

-4.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.97

$2.88 R 47.28

5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 99.6

$3.74 R 61.5

62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.42

$1.32 R 21.69

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.24

$1.71 R 28.05

-2.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.30

$1.60 R 26.32

7.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 R 1,170

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.59

$0.96 R 15.79

-7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 R 65.3

$3.98 R 65.5

-0.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.21

$1.24 R 20.43

-0.81%

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

$22.4K R 367.7K

$20.9K R 344.0K

6.91%

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

$24.2K R 398.4K

$23.6K R 387.4K

2.84%

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

$116 R 1,907

$116 R 1,914

-0.38%

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

$40.82 R 671

$35.21 R 579

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 R 717

$42.17 R 693

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.86 R 557

$30.95 R 509

9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 R 225

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R 118

$6.91 R 114

3.47%

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

$211 R 3,469

$200 R 3,290

5.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,976 R 81.8K

$4,305 R 70.8K

15.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 825

$50.1 R 823

0.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.72 R 554

$31.73 R 522

6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R 1,484

$89.8 R 1,476

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R 1,275

$79.2 R 1,301

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 6,933

$370 R 6,076

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,017

$335 R 5,503

9.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 R 15.3K

$695 R 11.4K

33.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 R 11.5K

$682 R 11.2K

2.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,072 R 17.6K

$919 R 15.1K

16.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 R 12.9K

$711 R 11.7K

10.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

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

Last update for Johannesburg: June 14, 2026

Last update for Uitenhage: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Johannesburg versus $370 in Uitenhage. 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $33.00 in Uitenhage. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $175 – making Uitenhage 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 Uitenhage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 14% more than Uitenhage, 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 $1,724 per month in Johannesburg and $1,506 in Uitenhage. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uitenhage, 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 $1,149 in Johannesburg and $1,004 in Uitenhage. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Johannesburg and $200 in Uitenhage. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Uitenhage, where all-in costs run around $1,004, than in Johannesburg at $1,149. In Uitenhage it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Uitenhage costs $1,004 versus $1,149 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Uitenhage. 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.