Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springs and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Springs: $979 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Springs
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Springs Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Springs

🇿🇦 South Africa

$979

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Springs vs $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Springs $979
Johannesburg $1,410

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Springs vs $2,182 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Springs $1,582
Johannesburg $2,182

A family of three spends $2,184 per month in Springs vs $2,954 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Springs $2,184
Johannesburg $2,954

Springs is about 31% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Springs sits 28% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 R 152

$11.92 R 198

-23.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.40 R 588

$44.33 R 736

-20.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 R 86.0

$7.42 R 123

-30.19%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R 36.44

$2.39 R 39.68

-8.37%

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

$0.96 R 15.89

$1.21 R 20.15

-20.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.05

$0.96 R 15.89

-30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R 30.78

$2.42 R 40.24

-23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.43

$2.67 R 44.27

-20.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.26

$1.29 R 21.49

-10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.50

$1.19 R 19.83

-11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.45

$1.70 R 28.32

4.12%

Eggs

$2.41 R 39.97

$2.75 R 45.69

-12.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$8.68 R 144

-2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R 83.0

$5.56 R 92.4

-10.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R 120

$8.92 R 148

-18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 R 21.29

$2.08 R 34.53

-38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.94

$1.81 R 30.09

-40.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.40

$1.73 R 28.77

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.87

$2.10 R 34.90

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 R 17.60

$1.70 R 28.30

-37.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.37

$1.79 R 29.65

-34.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 20.18

$1.49 R 24.75

-18.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 12.26

$1.23 R 20.50

-39.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 R 51.8

$3.48 R 57.9

-10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.03 R 66.9

$6.10 R 101

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.58

$1.86 R 30.95

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.39

$2.40 R 39.85

-28.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,479

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.80

$0.81 R 13.50

-64.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 13.37

$0.87 R 14.42

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.37 R 239

$14.32 R 238

0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.56

$1.53 R 25.39

-3.27%

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

$35.6K R 591.4K

$35.5K R 589.1K

0.40%

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

$32.7K R 543.5K

$34.0K R 565.0K

-3.81%

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

$148 R 2,460

$224 R 3,715

-33.78%

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

$37.52 R 623

$39.12 R 650

-4.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.28 R 586

$36.93 R 613

-4.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 R 654

$35.49 R 590

10.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 290

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 R 121

$8.29 R 138

-11.82%

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

$89.2 R 1,481

$240 R 3,984

-62.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,794 R 29.8K

$5,471 R 90.9K

-67.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 R 898

$58.0 R 963

-6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 R 528

$44.96 R 747

-29.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 R 1,521

$111 R 1,849

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 R 1,363

$113 R 1,869

-27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 R 4,721

$526 R 8,742

-46.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 R 4,571

$419 R 6,968

-34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 R 11.8K

$1,099 R 18.3K

-35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.5K

$885 R 14.7K

-21.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,481 R 24.6K

$1,035 R 17.2K

43.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R 11.5K

$734 R 12.2K

-5.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,145 R 19.0K

$1,709 R 28.4K

-33.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

10.91

-1.47%

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

Last update for Springs: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springs

$275 28.1%

Johannesburg

$419 29.8% 52.4% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springs

$221 22.6%

Johannesburg

$300 21.3% 35.7% $79

Groceries & Markets

Springs

$173 17.7%

Johannesburg

$218 15.5% 26% $45

Eating Out

Springs

$135 13.8%

Johannesburg

$172 12.2% 27.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Springs

$117 11.9%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 25.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Springs

$54 5.5%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 3.5% $1.9

Getting Around

Springs

$4.3 * 0.4%

Johannesburg

$101 7.2% 2251% $97

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Springs 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 49% higher in Johannesburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Springs versus $44 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $218 – making Springs the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Springs

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

Same time as Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,996

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Springs vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 44% more than Springs, 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 $1,469 per month in Springs 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 Springs, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $979 in Springs and $1,410 in Johannesburg. That makes Springs about 31% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $89 per month in Springs 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 Springs – 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 Springs. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.