Chicago vs Johannesburg - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Johannesburg
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2799
$1082
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6454
$2560
🏠 One person rent
$1702
$485
🏘️ Family rent
$2727
$833
🍽️ Food expenses
$702
$306
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$206
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5210
$1614
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
100
74
😀 Quality of life
97
62
🏙️ Population
2.75M
4.43M

The cost of living in Chicago is 159% more expensive than in Johannesburg. Cities ranked 394th and 5031st ($2799 vs $1082) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 338th and 4th in the United States and South Africa, respectively. Check the United States vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.9 months in Chicago compared to 1.5 months in Johannesburg. Chicago ranked 2nd best city to live in the United States vs Johannesburg ranked 1st in South Africa, while ranked 16th and 5648th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Chicago vs Johannesburg

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Johannesburg are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Johannesburg
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.2
$10.1
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$86.5
$38.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$5.03
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.36
$2.51
☕ Cappuccino
$5.6
$2.18
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$1.08
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1993
$462
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$342
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3215
$824
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2313
$632
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$78.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$122
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$64.8
$40.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.77%
11.57%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3645
$1106
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2499
$741
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.21
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$74.8
$77.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$11.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.01
$1.32
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$1.28
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.01
$1.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$1.44
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.3
$2.6
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$10.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$5.34
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$7.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.04
$1.71
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.63
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$1.63
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$1.77
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.37
$1.41
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$1.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$0.66
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$1.53
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$6.13
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$1.46
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.5
$3.19
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$5.86
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7
$4.11
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.84
$1.98
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$1.49
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.2
$33.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$7.33
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$135
$29.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.7
$6.46
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$52.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.8
$93.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2032
$227
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23423
$5503

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Sandton
$984
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$890
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$984
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$826
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$740
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$892
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$975
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$706
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$799
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$875
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$940
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$731
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$838
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$830
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$762
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$808
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$762
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$833
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$637
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$668
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$570
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$637
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$599
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$827
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$607
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$469
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$650
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$577
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$698
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$598
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$514
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$861
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$705
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$908
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$536
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$915
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$892
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$587
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$915