Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midrand and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Midrand: $1,097 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Midrand
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Midrand Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Midrand

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,097

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,097 per month in Midrand vs $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Midrand $1,097
Johannesburg $1,410

A couple spends around $1,641 per month in Midrand vs $2,182 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Midrand $1,641
Johannesburg $2,182

A family of three spends $2,185 per month in Midrand vs $2,954 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Midrand $2,185
Johannesburg $2,954

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.71 R 95.2

$11.92 R 199

-52.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.15 R 502

$44.33 R 739

-31.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.12 R 52.0

$7.42 R 124

-57.95%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R 29.65

$2.39 R 39.81

-25.52%

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

$1.23 R 20.45

$1.21 R 20.22

1.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.36

$0.96 R 15.94

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R 39.42

$2.42 R 40.38

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R 39.89

$2.67 R 44.43

-10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 R 22.21

$1.29 R 21.56

3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.91

$1.19 R 19.90

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.79

$1.70 R 28.41

-22.94%

Eggs

$2.80 R 46.65

$2.75 R 45.84

1.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 151

$8.68 R 145

4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 R 92.6

$5.56 R 92.7

-0.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 R 151

$8.92 R 149

1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R 33.68

$2.08 R 34.65

-2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.11

$1.81 R 30.19

-39.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 29.25

$1.73 R 28.87

1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.84

$2.10 R 35.02

-29.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.66

$1.70 R 28.40

1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.79

$1.79 R 29.76

3.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.53

$1.49 R 24.84

-17.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 21.25

$1.23 R 20.57

3.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 R 54.9

$3.48 R 58.1

-5.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 R 90.3

$6.10 R 102

-11.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.68

$1.86 R 31.05

-49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 R 20.70

$2.40 R 39.98

-48.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 25.08

$1.78 R 29.75

-15.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.84

$0.81 R 13.54

2.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 R 9.68

$0.87 R 14.47

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 R 245

$14.32 R 239

2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 24.29

$1.53 R 25.48

-4.58%

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

$34.4K R 572.6K

$35.5K R 591.1K

-3.14%

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

$30.3K R 504.2K

$34.0K R 566.9K

-11.06%

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

$108 R 1,799

$224 R 3,728

-51.75%

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

$24.41 R 407

$39.12 R 652

-37.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.64 R 627

$36.93 R 616

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 R 538

$35.49 R 592

-9.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.71 R 179

$17.43 R 291

-38.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 R 146

$8.29 R 138

5.31%

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

$183 R 3,055

$240 R 3,997

-23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.2K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 R 988

$58.0 R 966

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.72 R 762

$44.96 R 749

1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 R 1,405

$111 R 1,855

-24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 R 1,404

$113 R 1,876

-25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,207

$526 R 8,772

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 R 7,342

$419 R 6,992

5.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 R 13.9K

$1,099 R 18.3K

-24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 R 12.6K

$885 R 14.7K

-14.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 R 14.5K

$1,035 R 17.3K

-16.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$694 R 11.6K

$734 R 12.2K

-5.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 R 28.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

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

Last update for Midrand: October 26, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Midrand

$441 40.2%

Johannesburg

$419 29.8% 4.8% $21

Groceries & Markets

Midrand

$202 18.4%

Johannesburg

$218 15.5% 7.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midrand

$170 15.5%

Johannesburg

$300 21.3% 76.3% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Midrand

$123 11.2%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 19.5% $24

Eating Out

Midrand

$102 9.3%

Johannesburg

$172 12.2% 69.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Midrand

$50 4.5%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 4.7% $2.3

Getting Around

Midrand

$9.8 * 0.9%

Johannesburg

$101 7.2% 939% $92

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Midrand 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Midrand versus $44 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $218 – making Midrand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Midrand

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

Same time as Midrand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,387

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Midrand Johannesburg 24 km

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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

Midrand vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 29% more than Midrand, 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 $1,645 per month in Midrand and $2,115 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $492 in Midrand and $526 in Johannesburg. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,097 in Midrand and $1,410 in Johannesburg. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $183 per month in Midrand and $240 in Johannesburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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