Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $949 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index

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Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$949

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $949 per month in Polokwane vs $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Polokwane $949
Johannesburg $1,410

A couple spends around $1,407 per month in Polokwane vs $2,182 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Polokwane $1,407
Johannesburg $2,182

A family of three spends $1,865 per month in Polokwane vs $2,954 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Polokwane $1,865
Johannesburg $2,954

Polokwane is about 33% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Polokwane sits 30% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 R 198

$11.92 R 199

-0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.62 R 512

$44.33 R 741

-30.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 R 118

$7.42 R 124

-4.58%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.62

$2.39 R 39.91

-0.84%

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

$0.71 R 11.89

$1.21 R 20.27

-41.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.22

$0.96 R 15.98

-5.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 R 27.76

$2.42 R 40.48

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.89

$2.67 R 44.53

-30.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R 22.55

$1.29 R 21.61

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.84

$1.19 R 19.95

-5.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.54

$1.70 R 28.48

0.59%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.95

$2.75 R 45.95

-4.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 R 127

$8.68 R 145

-12.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 R 76.8

$5.56 R 93.0

-17.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 R 103

$8.92 R 149

-30.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R 32.15

$2.08 R 34.73

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.45

$1.81 R 30.26

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.22

$1.73 R 28.94

4.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.57

$2.10 R 35.10

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.65

$1.70 R 28.47

-2.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.20

$1.79 R 29.83

-15.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 R 18.84

$1.49 R 24.90

-24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.68

$1.23 R 20.62

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 R 44.56

$3.48 R 58.2

-23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 R 76.5

$6.10 R 102

-24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.31

$1.86 R 31.13

-37.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.51

$2.40 R 40.08

-33.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R 14.75

$1.78 R 29.82

-50.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.59 R 494

$89.0 R 1,487

-66.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.50

$0.81 R 13.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.64

$0.87 R 14.51

1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.14 R 236

$14.32 R 239

-1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 23.58

$1.53 R 25.54

-7.84%

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

$25.5K R 426.1K

$35.5K R 592.5K

-28.09%

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

$28.5K R 476.0K

$34.0K R 568.3K

-16.24%

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

$138 R 2,303

$224 R 3,737

-38.37%

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

$38.04 R 636

$39.12 R 654

-2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 R 549

$36.93 R 617

-10.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.55 R 377

$35.49 R 593

-36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 291

Cinema Ticket

$8.31 R 139

$8.29 R 138

0.24%

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

$181 R 3,030

$240 R 4,007

-24.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,446 R 24.2K

$5,471 R 91.4K

-73.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.25 R 773

$58.0 R 969

-20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.70 R 630

$44.96 R 751

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 R 1,344

$111 R 1,860

-27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 R 1,559

$113 R 1,880

-17.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 R 4,810

$526 R 8,793

-45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 R 3,320

$419 R 7,009

-52.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R 7,052

$1,099 R 18.4K

-61.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 R 4,729

$885 R 14.8K

-68.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 R 22.8K

$1,709 R 28.6K

-20.05%

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 Polokwane: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polokwane

$209 22%

Johannesburg

$300 21.3% 43.6% $91

Accommodation & Living

Polokwane

$199 20.9%

Johannesburg

$419 29.8% 111% $221

Groceries & Markets

Polokwane

$185 19.5%

Johannesburg

$218 15.5% 17.9% $33

Eating Out

Polokwane

$163 17.2%

Johannesburg

$172 12.2% 5.8% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Polokwane

$116 12.2%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 26.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 33% $13

Getting Around

Polokwane

$38 4%

Johannesburg

$101 7.2% 165% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in Polokwane 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 25% 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 $31 in Polokwane versus $44 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $218 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Polokwane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

628,999

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Polokwane Johannesburg 290 km

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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

Polokwane vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 49% more than Polokwane, 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 $1,423 per month in Polokwane and $2,115 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Polokwane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Polokwane and $44 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 $949 in Polokwane and $1,410 in Johannesburg. That makes Polokwane about 33% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $949 in Polokwane and $1,410 in Johannesburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – 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 Polokwane. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.