Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scottburgh and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Scottburgh: $1,105 a month against $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Scottburgh
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Scottburgh Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Scottburgh

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,105 per month in Scottburgh vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Scottburgh $1,105
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $1,736 per month in Scottburgh vs $2,195 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Scottburgh $1,736
Johannesburg $2,195

A family of three spends $2,368 per month in Scottburgh vs $2,983 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Scottburgh $2,368
Johannesburg $2,983

Scottburgh is about 21% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Scottburgh sits 18% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 R 144

$11.88 R 197

-27.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.96 R 613

$44.83 R 744

-17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 R 101

$7.40 R 123

-17.70%

Cappuccino

$2.59 R 43.05

$2.45 R 40.60

5.71%

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

$1.10 R 18.28

$1.23 R 20.36

-10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.53

$0.92 R 15.31

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 R 38.98

$2.45 R 40.68

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R 38.83

$2.74 R 45.44

-14.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.50

$1.31 R 21.77

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.91

$1.26 R 20.88

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.70

$1.72 R 28.56

-13.37%

Eggs

$2.29 R 37.98

$2.63 R 43.68

-12.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 R 133

$8.87 R 147

-9.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 R 86.5

$5.68 R 94.2

-8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 R 120

$9.04 R 150

-19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 R 32.71

$2.07 R 34.42

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.92

$1.91 R 31.63

-2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.24

$1.83 R 30.28

6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.61

$2.05 R 34.01

-21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.03

$1.70 R 28.24

-11.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.69

$1.81 R 29.95

-24.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 R 19.20

$1.51 R 25.00

-23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 19.62

$1.26 R 20.83

-6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 R 58.7

$3.50 R 58.1

1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 R 80.8

$6.07 R 101

-19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.84

$1.80 R 29.90

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 33.51

$2.31 R 38.28

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 R 31.26

$1.62 R 26.92

16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 R 1,505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 R 7.24

$0.82 R 13.65

-46.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R 11.73

$0.92 R 15.21

-22.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 R 128

$14.30 R 237

-45.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.85

$1.52 R 25.17

-1.32%

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

$35.9K R 596.4K

$35.4K R 587.3K

1.55%

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

$34.1K R 565.6K

$34.7K R 576.4K

-1.86%

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

$149 R 2,473

$228 R 3,780

-34.57%

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

$38.28 R 635

$38.51 R 639

-0.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.10 R 649

$38.02 R 631

2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.86 R 512

$35.33 R 586

-12.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 R 220

$16.47 R 273

-19.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 R 125

$8.47 R 141

-10.98%

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

$311 R 5,166

$247 R 4,097

26.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,387 R 122.6K

$7,727 R 128.2K

-4.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 R 871

$58.1 R 964

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.25 R 452

$44.29 R 735

-38.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 R 1,584

$113 R 1,869

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 R 1,391

$111 R 1,842

-24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,996

$526 R 8,721

-31.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 6,113

$407 R 6,757

-9.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 R 13.6K

$1,091 R 18.1K

-24.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 R 13.1K

$900 R 14.9K

-11.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 R 12.6K

$1,029 R 17.1K

-26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 R 11.9K

$748 R 12.4K

-4.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,750 R 29.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

10.91

7.24%

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

Last update for Scottburgh: November 1, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scottburgh

$368 33.4%

Johannesburg

$407 29% 10.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scottburgh

$226 20.5%

Johannesburg

$304 21.6% 34.4% $78

Groceries & Markets

Scottburgh

$193 17.5%

Johannesburg

$220 15.7% 14% $27

Eating Out

Scottburgh

$143 12.9%

Johannesburg

$173 12.3% 21.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Scottburgh

$117 10.6%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 25.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Scottburgh

$46 4.2%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 13.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Scottburgh

$12 * 1%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 791% $91

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Scottburgh 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 $37 in Scottburgh versus $45 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $220 – making Scottburgh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Scottburgh

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

Same time as Scottburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,949

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

On the map

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Between locations

Scottburgh Johannesburg 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Scottburgh
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

Scottburgh vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 27% more than Scottburgh, 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 $1,657 per month in Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $361 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,105 in Scottburgh and $1,406 in Johannesburg. That makes Scottburgh about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $311 per month in Scottburgh and $247 in Johannesburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Johannesburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,105 in Scottburgh to $1,406 in Johannesburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.