Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Klerksdorp and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Klerksdorp: $1,089 a month against $1,428 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Klerksdorp
Learn more

Klerksdorp Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Klerksdorp

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,089

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Klerksdorp and in Johannesburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Klerksdorp and in Johannesburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,089 per month in Klerksdorp vs $1,428 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Klerksdorp $1,089
Johannesburg $1,428

A couple spends around $1,685 per month in Klerksdorp vs $2,226 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Klerksdorp $1,685
Johannesburg $2,226

A family of three spends $2,281 per month in Klerksdorp vs $3,023 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Klerksdorp $2,281
Johannesburg $3,023

Klerksdorp is about 24% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Klerksdorp sits 20% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R 146

$12.35 R 204

-28.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.43 R 600

$46.17 R 761

-21.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 R 90.3

$7.42 R 122

-26.15%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R 36.52

$2.45 R 40.29

-9.39%

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

$0.96 R 15.75

$1.28 R 21.09

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 13.19

$0.92 R 15.08

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 R 39.21

$2.36 R 38.87

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 R 46.19

$2.82 R 46.43

-0.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.14

$1.37 R 22.51

-10.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 R 18.78

$1.26 R 20.81

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.26

$1.72 R 28.37

6.98%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.43

$2.76 R 45.42

-11.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 R 137

$8.96 R 148

-7.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 R 60.3

$5.74 R 94.5

-36.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.80 R 112

$9.17 R 151

-25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.53

$2.12 R 35.00

-15.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.79

$1.87 R 30.87

-12.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.98

$1.83 R 30.17

-0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.04

$2.06 R 33.92

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 R 10.41

$1.68 R 27.63

-62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.44

$1.79 R 29.44

-34.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R 16.70

$1.47 R 24.22

-31.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R 21.14

$1.31 R 21.66

-2.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.7

$3.53 R 58.2

-5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.05 R 83.2

$5.93 R 97.7

-14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R 25.48

$1.85 R 30.49

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 R 31.85

$2.33 R 38.34

-17.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 R 27.34

$2.06 R 33.90

-19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 R 1,509

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.15

$0.88 R 14.54

-64.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R 13.48

$0.87 R 14.41

-5.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 R 49.88

$14.78 R 243

-79.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.33

$1.53 R 25.23

-11.11%

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

$24.3K R 401.1K

$35.7K R 588.6K

-31.86%

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

$24.3K R 399.9K

$35.2K R 580.5K

-31.11%

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

$151 R 2,487

$227 R 3,743

-33.56%

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

$37.19 R 613

$39.37 R 649

-5.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.96 R 625

$37.62 R 620

0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 R 525

$37.85 R 624

-15.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 R 192

$17.16 R 283

-32.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 R 117

$8.43 R 139

-15.66%

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

$123 R 2,022

$248 R 4,089

-50.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,563 R 91.6K

$5,491 R 90.5K

1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 896

$60.2 R 991

-9.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.80 R 524

$45.06 R 742

-29.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 R 1,524

$112 R 1,846

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 R 1,371

$112 R 1,849

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 R 6,629

$519 R 8,550

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,010

$416 R 6,861

-12.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 R 12.3K

$1,068 R 17.6K

-29.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 R 12.2K

$903 R 14.9K

-17.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$866 R 14.3K

$1,038 R 17.1K

-16.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 R 11.5K

$763 R 12.6K

-8.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$911 R 15.0K

$1,716 R 28.3K

-46.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

-17.51%

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

Last update for Klerksdorp: October 18, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Klerksdorp

$365 33.5%

Johannesburg

$416 29.2% 14.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Klerksdorp

$226 20.8%

Johannesburg

$304 21.3% 34.5% $78

Groceries & Markets

Klerksdorp

$184 16.9%

Johannesburg

$223 15.6% 21.1% $39

Eating Out

Klerksdorp

$139 12.7%

Johannesburg

$177 12.4% 27.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Klerksdorp

$118 10.8%

Johannesburg

$148 10.4% 25.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Klerksdorp

$46 4.2%

Johannesburg

$55 3.8% 18.6% $8.6

Getting Around

Klerksdorp

$11 * 1%

Johannesburg

$105 7.4% 852% $94

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Klerksdorp versus $519 in Johannesburg. 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 88% 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 $36.00 in Klerksdorp versus $46.00 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $223 – making Klerksdorp the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Klerksdorp

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Klerksdorp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,515

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Klerksdorp Johannesburg 160 km

From you

Klerksdorp
Johannesburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Klerksdorp vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 31% more than Klerksdorp, 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 $1,633 per month in Klerksdorp and $2,142 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Klerksdorp, 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 $1,089 in Klerksdorp and $1,428 in Johannesburg. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Klerksdorp and $248 in Johannesburg. 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 Klerksdorp, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Johannesburg at $1,428. In Klerksdorp it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Klerksdorp costs $1,089 versus $1,428 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 Klerksdorp. 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.