Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanderbijlpark and Bloemfontein Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanderbijlpark and Bloemfontein

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $991 per month in Vanderbijlpark vs $962 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,579 per month in Vanderbijlpark vs $1,461 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Vanderbijlpark vs $1,960 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Vanderbijlpark costs about 3% more than Bloemfontein, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Vanderbijlpark and Bloemfontein are more affordable than the global median – Vanderbijlpark 26% lower, Bloemfontein 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 R 110

$11.14 R 181

-39.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.54 R 545

$37.74 R 613

-11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 R 75.8

$6.61 R 107

-29.35%

Cappuccino

$1.84 R 29.84

$1.83 R 29.73

0.55%

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

$1.06 R 17.19

$1.40 R 22.72

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.29

$0.95 R 15.41

-13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 R 22.30

$2.36 R 38.32

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 44.32

$2.21 R 35.87

23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.85

$1.00 R 16.18

22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.66

$0.98 R 16.00

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.53

$1.98 R 32.11

-20.71%

Eggs

$2.29 R 37.14

$1.99 R 32.34

15.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 R 107

$6.99 R 114

-6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 R 73.3

$4.83 R 78.5

-6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 R 99.5

$6.99 R 114

-12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.57

$1.66 R 27.03

-1.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.18

$1.17 R 18.95

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.00

$1.46 R 23.67

9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.44

$1.33 R 21.68

27.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.56

$0.86 R 14.00

54.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 19.67

$1.73 R 28.11

-30.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.25

$1.07 R 17.37

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 18.04

$0.91 R 14.79

21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 R 45.79

$2.54 R 41.32

11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.25 R 69.1

$4.89 R 79.4

-13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.41

$1.48 R 24.03

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 28.95

$1.52 R 24.68

17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.54 R 90.0

$0.78 R 12.66

610.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.16 R 718

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 R 22.13

$1.10 R 17.92

23.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 R 8.88

$0.66 R 10.74

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 R 138

$3.96 R 64.3

114.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.86

$1.29 R 20.88

-0.78%

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

$19.5K R 316.6K

$23.0K R 373.6K

-15.27%

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

$26.2K R 425.6K

$24.8K R 402.9K

5.63%

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

$124 R 2,016

$75.3 R 1,224

64.64%

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

$22.78 R 370

$30.97 R 503

-26.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.82 R 615

$35.17 R 571

7.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.04 R 488

$29.07 R 472

3.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 R 277

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 R 103

$5.74 R 93.4

10.10%

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

$154 R 2,506

$124 R 2,017

24.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,102 R 17.9K

$4,264 R 69.3K

-74.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.76 R 776

$56.3 R 915

-15.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.16 R 523

$31.94 R 519

0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 R 1,412

$126 R 2,055

-31.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 R 1,446

$91.7 R 1,491

-3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 R 5,414

$294 R 4,779

13.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 R 4,922

$290 R 4,711

4.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 R 8,932

$475 R 7,717

15.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 R 10.8K

$509 R 8,273

30.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$501 R 8,147

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$640 R 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,826 R 29.7K

$1,338 R 21.7K

36.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.47

-4.10%

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

Last update for Vanderbijlpark: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bloemfontein: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Vanderbijlpark versus $294 in Bloemfontein. 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 36% higher in Vanderbijlpark, 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 $34.00 in Vanderbijlpark versus $38.00 in Bloemfontein. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Vanderbijlpark vs $171 in Bloemfontein – so Bloemfontein wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Vanderbijlpark vs Bloemfontein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vanderbijlpark costs about 3% more than Bloemfontein, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,487 per month in Vanderbijlpark and $1,443 in Bloemfontein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Vanderbijlpark and $38.00 in Bloemfontein. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Vanderbijlpark, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $991 in Vanderbijlpark and $962 in Bloemfontein, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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