Johannesburg vs Mbabane - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: March 02, 2025

	Johannesburg	Mbabane
🚶 Cost of living one person	$993	$562
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$2403	$1439
🏠 One person rent	$441	$245
🏘️ Family rent	$809	$484
🍽️ Food expenses	$288	$202
🚐 Transport expenses	$181	$55.5
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$1383	$701
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	12 km	27 km
🎓 Higher education	72	16
😀 Quality of life	57	38
🏙️ Population	4.43M	60.7K

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 77% more expensive than in Mbabane. Cities ranked 5539th and 8102nd ($993 vs $562) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 1st in South Africa and Eswatini, respectively. Check South Africa vs Eswatini comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.4 months in Johannesburg compared to 1.2 months in Mbabane. Johannesburg ranked 2nd best city to live in South Africa vs Mbabane ranked 1st in Eswatini, while ranked 5667th and 7231st among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Johannesburg vs Mbabane infographic

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Prices in Johannesburg vs Mbabane

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

	Johannesburg	Mbabane
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$9.65	$2.96
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$37.9	$27.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$4.9	$2.22
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$2.37	$1.78
☕ Cappuccino	$2.01	$1.65
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.99	$0.9
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$377	$221
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$318	$159
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$790	$487
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$627	$360
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$71.9	$45.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$110	$70.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$39.5	$27.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	11.55%	11.73%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$1031	$330
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$684	$245
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$1.62	$1.09
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$72	$28.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$9.35	$25.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.28	$1.14
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.18	$1.03
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$0.95	$0.74
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.36	$1.22
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.58	$1.63
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$10	$8.71
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.04	$4.82
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$6.12	$5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.6	$1.47
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.49	$0.71
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.41	$0.9
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.59	$1.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.35	$1
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.44	$1.22
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.58	$0.49
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.44	$1.12
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$5.96	$5.45
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.25	$1.42
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.97	$2.51
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$5.59	$4.16
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$3.94	$3.07
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$1.88	$1.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.42	$1.27
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$33.2	$27.2
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$7.2	$3.51
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$27.8	$17.9
💇 Haircut, simple	$5.55	$4.52
👖 Brand Jeans	$48.5	$43.6
👟 Brand Sneakers	$88.8	$70.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$214	$104
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$5271	$4495

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance	City	Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi	Sandton	$953
13 km or 8 mi	Randburg	$837
19 km or 12 mi	Soweto	$923
28 km or 17 mi	Benoni	$785
40 km or 25 mi	Springs	$678
41 km or 25 mi	Centurion	$807
53 km or 33 mi	Pretoria	$906
53 km or 33 mi	Vereeniging	$672
59 km or 36 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$773
71 km or 44 mi	Brits	$820
101 km or 62 mi	Rustenburg	$889
109 km or 68 mi	Potchefstroom	$695
143 km or 89 mi	Bethal	$784
152 km or 94 mi	Middelburg	$795
155 km or 97 mi	Klerksdorp	$722
179 km or 111 mi	Kroonstad	$768
237 km or 147 mi	Welkom	$748
244 km or 152 mi	Mmabatho	$780
262 km or 163 mi	Lobatse	$665
275 km or 171 mi	Gaborone	$691
287 km or 179 mi	Butha-Buthe	$535
302 km or 188 mi	Kanye	$664
311 km or 193 mi	Mbabane	$562
323 km or 201 mi	Vryheid	$763
325 km or 202 mi	Molepolole	$628
329 km or 204 mi	Teyateyaneng	$500
333 km or 207 mi	Manzini	$442
350 km or 217 mi	Maseru	$621
366 km or 228 mi	Mahalapye	$631
369 km or 229 mi	Bloemfontein	$657
409 km or 254 mi	Mafeteng	$567
417 km or 259 mi	Palapye	$540
429 km or 267 mi	Kimberley	$814
442 km or 275 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$640
443 km or 275 mi	Matola	$964
446 km or 277 mi	Serowe	$583
454 km or 282 mi	Maputo	$1068
501 km or 311 mi	Durban	$809
562 km or 349 mi	Francistown	$624
577 km or 358 mi	Xai-Xai	$1003

Cities near Mbabane

Distance	City	Cost of living
27 km or 17 mi	Manzini	$442
136 km or 85 mi	Matola	$964
148 km or 92 mi	Maputo	$1068
165 km or 103 mi	Vryheid	$763
171 km or 106 mi	Bethal	$784
179 km or 111 mi	Middelburg	$795
271 km or 168 mi	Springs	$678
284 km or 176 mi	Benoni	$785
287 km or 178 mi	Xai-Xai	$1003
301 km or 187 mi	Centurion	$807
304 km or 189 mi	Pretoria	$906
311 km or 193 mi	Sandton	$953
311 km or 193 mi	Johannesburg	$993
316 km or 196 mi	Randburg	$837
324 km or 201 mi	Vereeniging	$672
329 km or 204 mi	Soweto	$923
334 km or 207 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$773
348 km or 216 mi	Brits	$820
370 km or 230 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$640
394 km or 245 mi	Durban	$809
398 km or 247 mi	Butha-Buthe	$535
399 km or 248 mi	Rustenburg	$889
406 km or 252 mi	Potchefstroom	$695
416 km or 259 mi	Kroonstad	$768
451 km or 280 mi	Klerksdorp	$722
461 km or 287 mi	Teyateyaneng	$500
477 km or 296 mi	Welkom	$748
491 km or 305 mi	Maseru	$621
546 km or 339 mi	Mafeteng	$567
555 km or 345 mi	Mmabatho	$780
559 km or 347 mi	Gaborone	$691
564 km or 350 mi	Lobatse	$665
566 km or 352 mi	Mahalapye	$631
576 km or 358 mi	Bloemfontein	$657
585 km or 363 mi	Palapye	$540
601 km or 374 mi	Kanye	$664
608 km or 378 mi	Molepolole	$628
628 km or 390 mi	Serowe	$583
628 km or 390 mi	Mthatha	$852
682 km or 424 mi	Francistown	$624