Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Upington Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Upington

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,142 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,000 in Upington, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,779 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,593 in Upington, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,416 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,187 in Upington, rent included.

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

Both Johannesburg and Upington are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 15% lower, Upington 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 R 184

$11.25 R 182

1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.07 R 729

$34.00 R 550

32.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 R 80.2

$4.78 R 77.2

3.77%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.74

$1.64 R 26.45

38.41%

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

$1.03 R 16.71

$1.00 R 16.10

3.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.09

$0.70 R 11.35

15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.60

$1.56 R 25.18

68.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.17

$2.53 R 40.96

-1.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.52

$0.85 R 13.81

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.59

$1.10 R 17.83

-0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.88

$1.57 R 25.46

5.73%

Eggs

$2.45 R 39.54

$2.46 R 39.79

-0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 R 136

$7.76 R 125

8.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 R 77.8

$4.58 R 74.1

5.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R 111

$6.81 R 110

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.29

$1.62 R 26.14

4.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.57

$1.46 R 23.55

4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.92

$1.55 R 25.05

-0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.65

$1.64 R 26.47

0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.47

$1.32 R 21.37

9.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.31

$1.19 R 19.20

15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.08

$1.05 R 16.99

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.21

$0.95 R 15.41

-7.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 48.46

$2.56 R 41.38

17.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 R 101

$3.69 R 59.7

68.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.04

$1.37 R 22.16

-0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 R 25.95

$1.65 R 26.65

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 26.99

$1.63 R 26.37

2.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 R 1,149

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.65

$1.11 R 17.87

3.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.46

$0.90 R 14.58

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 R 65.3

$4.14 R 66.9

-2.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.64

$1.25 R 20.18

-3.20%

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

$22.2K R 358.9K

$21.4K R 345.4K

3.92%

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

$23.6K R 382.0K

$23.5K R 379.5K

0.66%

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

$116 R 1,875

$119 R 1,929

-2.82%

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

$39.97 R 646

$35.51 R 574

12.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 R 690

$42.30 R 684

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 R 556

$30.45 R 492

12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.50 R 218

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 119

$6.85 R 111

7.01%

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

$211 R 3,405

$196 R 3,161

7.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,820 R 77.9K

$4,300 R 69.5K

12.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 811

$49.68 R 803

0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 R 540

$31.64 R 512

5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 R 1,445

$88.2 R 1,425

1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 R 1,273

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 R 6,847

$364 R 5,883

16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 R 6,079

$332 R 5,374

13.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 R 14.8K

$570 R 9,218

60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 R 11.5K

$700 R 11.3K

1.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,056 R 17.1K

$929 R 15.0K

13.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$770 R 12.5K

$696 R 11.3K

10.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 R 26.7K

$802 R 13.0K

106.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.38

1.14%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: June 9, 2026

Last update for Upington: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Johannesburg versus $364 in Upington. 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 106% 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $34.00 in Upington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $173 – making Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 14% more than Upington, 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 $1,713 per month in Johannesburg and $1,500 in Upington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upington, 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 $1,142 in Johannesburg and $1,000 in Upington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Johannesburg and $196 in Upington. 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 Upington, where all-in costs run around $1,000, than in Johannesburg at $1,142. In Upington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Upington costs $1,000 versus $1,142 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 Upington. 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.