Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springs and Carlton

For one person, living is cheaper in Springs: $979 a month against $2,328 in Carlton, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Springs
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Springs Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index

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Springs

🇿🇦 South Africa

$979

/mo nomad

Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Springs and in Carlton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Springs versus $2,328 in Carlton.

Springs $979
Carlton $2,328

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,582 in Springs versus $3,353 in Carlton.

Springs $1,582
Carlton $3,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,184 in Springs versus $4,379 in Carlton.

Springs $2,184
Carlton $4,379

Living in Springs costs roughly 58% less than in Carlton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Springs is 28% below, Carlton is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 R 152

$17.33 A$24.55

-47.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.40 R 588

$69.1 A$97.9

-48.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 R 86.0

$10.28 A$14.57

-49.61%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R 36.44

$3.03 A$4.29

-27.72%

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

$0.96 R 15.89

$2.70 A$3.83

-64.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.05

$2.05 A$2.90

-67.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R 30.78

$6.69 A$9.47

-72.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.43

$6.60 A$9.35

-67.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.26

$1.30 A$1.84

-10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.50

$2.08 A$2.94

-49.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.45

$1.39 A$1.97

27.34%

Eggs

$2.41 R 39.97

$3.41 A$4.83

-29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$10.40 A$14.73

-18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R 83.0

$9.96 A$14.11

-49.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R 120

$14.94 A$21.16

-51.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 R 21.29

$3.31 A$4.69

-61.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.94

$2.76 A$3.91

-60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.40

$3.27 A$4.64

-47.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.87

$4.77 A$6.76

-74.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 R 17.60

$2.41 A$3.41

-56.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.37

$2.17 A$3.08

-46.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 20.18

$2.25 A$3.19

-46.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 12.26

$0.90 A$1.28

-17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 R 51.8

$25.30 A$35.84

-87.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.03 R 66.9

$10.61 A$15.03

-62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.58

$5.57 A$7.89

-79.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.39

$5.28 A$7.48

-67.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 A$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.80

$3.67 A$5.20

-92.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 13.37

$1.24 A$1.75

-35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.37 R 239

$26.46 A$37.48

-45.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.56

$1.29 A$1.83

14.73%

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

$35.6K R 591.4K

$18.2K A$25.8K

95.25%

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

$32.7K R 543.5K

$14.0K A$19.9K

132.93%

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

$148 R 2,460

$93.2 A$132

58.96%

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

$37.52 R 623

$28.34 A$40.14

32.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.28 R 586

$46.79 A$66.3

-24.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 R 654

$31.85 A$45.12

23.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 A$25.36

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 R 121

$13.46 A$19.06

-45.69%

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

$89.2 R 1,481

$2,108 A$2,986

-95.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,794 R 29.8K

$12.4K A$17.6K

-85.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 R 898

$80.0 A$113

-32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 R 528

$51.0 A$72.2

-37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 R 1,521

$69.7 A$98.7

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 R 1,363

$132 A$186

-37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 R 4,721

$1,409 A$1,997

-79.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 R 4,571

$1,235 A$1,749

-77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 R 11.8K

$2,220 A$3,145

-67.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.5K

$1,837 A$2,602

-62.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,481 R 24.6K

$5,665 A$8,025

-73.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R 11.5K

$4,619 A$6,543

-85.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,145 R 19.0K

$5,904 A$8,364

-80.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

5.9

82.20%

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

Last update for Springs: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carlton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springs

$275 28.1%

Carlton

$1.2K 53.1% 349% $960

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springs

$221 22.6%

Carlton

$168 7.2% 23.8% $53

Groceries & Markets

Springs

$173 17.7%

Carlton

$340 14.6% 96.6% $167

Eating Out

Springs

$135 13.8%

Carlton

$272 11.7% 101% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Springs

$117 11.9%

Carlton

$150 6.4% 28% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Springs

$54 5.5%

Carlton

$59 2.5% 8.9% $4.8

Getting Around

Springs

$4.3 * 0.4%

Carlton

$105 4.5% 2333% $101

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Springs and $1,409 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Springs vs $69 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $340 per month, with Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Springs

🇦🇺 Carlton

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

16:52 4:52 PM

9 h ahead of Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,996

19,001

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.634 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Springs Carlton 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Springs
Carlton

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

Springs vs Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $979 in Springs and $2,328 in Carlton, so Springs is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Springs. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $284 in Springs versus $1,409 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $89 in Springs versus $2,108 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Springs – a meal for two runs $35 versus $69 in Carlton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Springs wins on affordability, Carlton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.