Chicago vs Johannesburg - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Johannesburg
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$1079
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$2553
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$487
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$837
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$302
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$204
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$1695
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
100
72
😀 Quality of life
96
58
🏙️ Population
2.75M
4.43M

The cost of living in Chicago is 147% more expensive than in Johannesburg. Cities ranked 483rd and 5069th ($2667 vs $1079) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 3rd 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 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.6 months in Johannesburg. Chicago ranked 3rd best city to live in the United States vs Johannesburg ranked 2nd in South Africa, while ranked 20th and 5446th 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
$21
$9.91
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$40.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$5.08
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$2.31
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$2.04
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$1.01
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$405
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$361
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$781
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$657
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$72.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$111
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$44.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
11.54%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$1096
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$753
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$1.89
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$81.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$10.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.37
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$1.21
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$1
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$1.44
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$2.66
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$10.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$5.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$6.49
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$1.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$1.62
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$1.48
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$1.66
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$1.4
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$1.53
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$0.62
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$1.51
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$6.14
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$1.36
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$3.19
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$6.05
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$4.18
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$2
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$1.53
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$33.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$7.67
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$29.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$6.42
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$51.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$91.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$241
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$5865

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Sandton
$997
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$874
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$971
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$822
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$696
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$838
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$909
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$717
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$768
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$848
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$943
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$717
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$819
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$841
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$689
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$788
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$774
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$809
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$692
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$718
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$559
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$690
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$623
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$791
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$654
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$459
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$627
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$663
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$696
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$581
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$554
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$859
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$674
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$1003
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$600
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$1116
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$834
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$585
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$1045