Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg, South Africa and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,099 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Middelburg 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 Middelburg and in Johannesburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,099 per month in Middelburg vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Middelburg $1,099
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $1,695 per month in Middelburg vs $2,195 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Middelburg $1,695
Johannesburg $2,195

A family of three spends $2,291 per month in Middelburg vs $2,983 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Middelburg $2,291
Johannesburg $2,983

Middelburg is about 22% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 R 158

$11.88 R 197

-19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 R 597

$44.83 R 744

-19.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R 97.3

$7.40 R 123

-20.68%

Cappuccino

$1.29 R 21.44

$2.45 R 40.60

-47.35%

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

$0.83 R 13.70

$1.23 R 20.36

-32.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R 10.63

$0.92 R 15.31

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 R 19.44

$2.45 R 40.68

-52.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.22

$2.74 R 45.44

-44.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.37

$1.31 R 21.77

-10.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.29

$1.26 R 20.88

-17.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.29

$1.72 R 28.56

-15.12%

Eggs

$1.70 R 28.24

$2.63 R 43.68

-35.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.76 R 95.6

$8.87 R 147

-35.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R 82.3

$5.68 R 94.2

-12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 R 110

$9.04 R 150

-26.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.58

$2.07 R 34.42

-19.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.94

$1.91 R 31.63

-43.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.58

$1.83 R 30.28

-38.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.52

$2.05 R 34.01

-39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.62

$1.70 R 28.24

1.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.45

$1.81 R 29.95

-32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.55

$1.51 R 25.00

-17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.24

$1.26 R 20.83

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R 39.71

$3.50 R 58.1

-31.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 79.6

$6.07 R 101

-20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 29.24

$1.80 R 29.90

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R 34.14

$2.31 R 38.28

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 R 23.60

$1.62 R 26.92

-12.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.88 R 711

$90.7 R 1,505

-52.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.59

$0.82 R 13.65

14.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R 12.35

$0.92 R 15.21

-19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 R 192

$14.30 R 237

-19.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R 22.13

$1.52 R 25.17

-12.50%

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

$34.3K R 568.5K

$35.4K R 587.3K

-3.21%

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

$31.9K R 529.5K

$34.7K R 576.4K

-8.14%

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

$151 R 2,508

$228 R 3,780

-33.64%

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

$35.28 R 585

$38.51 R 639

-8.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.41 R 621

$38.02 R 631

-1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.36 R 537

$35.33 R 586

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.35 R 205

$16.47 R 273

-25.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 R 104

$8.47 R 141

-26.21%

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

$236 R 3,912

$247 R 4,097

-4.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,077 R 100.8K

$7,727 R 128.2K

-21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 881

$58.1 R 964

-8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.79 R 527

$44.29 R 735

-28.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 R 1,640

$113 R 1,869

-12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 R 1,440

$111 R 1,842

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,602

$526 R 8,721

-24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,995

$407 R 6,757

-11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.9K

$1,091 R 18.1K

-34.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 R 12.1K

$900 R 14.9K

-19.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.6K

$1,029 R 17.1K

-26.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$670 R 11.1K

$748 R 12.4K

-10.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 R 19.8K

$1,750 R 29.0K

-31.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

10.91

0.09%

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

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middelburg

$361 32.9%

Johannesburg

$407 29% 12.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middelburg

$224 20.4%

Johannesburg

$304 21.6% 36% $80

Groceries & Markets

Middelburg

$170 15.4%

Johannesburg

$220 15.7% 29.8% $50

Eating Out

Middelburg

$124 11.3%

Johannesburg

$173 12.3% 39.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Middelburg

$122 11.1%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 20.5% $25

Getting Around

Middelburg

$53 4.8%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 92.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Middelburg

$45 4.1%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 16.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $398 in Middelburg versus $526 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 47% higher in Johannesburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Middelburg versus $45 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $220 – making Middelburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

Same time as Middelburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,348

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Middelburg vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 28% more than Middelburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,648 per month in Middelburg and $2,110 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middelburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $398 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Middelburg and $45 in Johannesburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,099 in Middelburg and $1,406 in Johannesburg. That makes Middelburg about 22% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,099 in Middelburg and $1,406 in Johannesburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Middelburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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