Johannesburg vs San Jose, United States - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1082
$3952
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2560
$8290
🏠 One person rent
$485
$2795
🏘️ Family rent
$833
$4452
🍽️ Food expenses
$306
$775
🚐 Transport expenses
$206
$174
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1614
$5915
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
74
87
😀 Quality of life
62
93
🏙️ Population
4.43M
1.01M

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 73% less expensive than in San Jose, United States. Cities ranked 5031st and 6th ($1082 vs $3952) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 4th in South Africa and the United States, respectively. Check South Africa vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.5 months in Johannesburg compared to 1.5 months in San Jose, United States. Johannesburg ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs San Jose, United States ranked 21st in the United States, while ranked 5648th and 88th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Johannesburg vs San Jose, United States infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Johannesburg vs San Jose, United States

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

Johannesburg San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.1
$20.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$38.1
$99.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.03
$12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.51
$9.08
☕ Cappuccino
$2.18
$5.87
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.08
$3.45
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$462
$2999
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$342
$2438
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$824
$4520
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$632
$4008
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$78.5
$175
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$122
$272
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40.5
$70
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.57%
6.45%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1106
$10416
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$741
$9325
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.21
$2.48
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$77.1
$90.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.7
$18.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.32
$1.27
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.28
$1.5
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.01
$5.04
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$3.21
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.6
$5.39
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.5
$22.6
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.34
$15.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.4
$23
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$6.54
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$2.61
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$5.77
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$6.69
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$4.3
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.6
$3.17
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.66
$1.88
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.53
$3.06
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.13
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.46
$2.31
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.19
$11.5
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.86
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.11
$6.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.98
$6.98
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.49
$2.51
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.6
$113
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.33
$16
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$29.7
$176
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.46
$21
👖 Brand Jeans
$52.2
$56.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.1
$88.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$227
$1874
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5503
$22302

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

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

Cities near San Jose, United States

Distance City Cost of living
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Campbell
$3424
9.7 km or 6.1 mi Santa Clara
$3476
11 km or 6.8 mi Los Gatos
$4335
13 km or 8.4 mi Saratoga
$3356
15 km or 9.1 mi Milpitas
$3202
15 km or 9.3 mi Cupertino
$2942
16 km or 10 mi Sunnyvale
$3426
18 km or 11 mi Mountain View
$3415
21 km or 13 mi Los Altos
$3182
27 km or 17 mi Palo Alto
$3765
27 km or 17 mi Morgan Hill
$3130
28 km or 18 mi Fremont
$3328
29 km or 18 mi Newark
$3133
29 km or 18 mi East Palo Alto
$3333
32 km or 20 mi Menlo Park
$3359
36 km or 22 mi Union
$3045
38 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3890
39 km or 24 mi Santa Cruz
$3719
41 km or 25 mi San Carlos
$3382
41 km or 25 mi Pleasanton
$3462
42 km or 26 mi Gilroy
$2955
43 km or 27 mi Livermore
$3089
44 km or 27 mi Watsonville
$3748
44 km or 27 mi Belmont
$3553
44 km or 28 mi Foster
$3634
45 km or 28 mi Hayward
$2826
46 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3070
47 km or 29 mi San Lorenzo
$2810
48 km or 30 mi San Mateo
$3756
48 km or 30 mi Castro Valley
$2957
53 km or 33 mi San Leandro
$3071
53 km or 33 mi Burlingame
$3317
54 km or 33 mi San Ramon
$2850
57 km or 36 mi Millbrae
$3285
59 km or 36 mi Danville
$3818
60 km or 38 mi San Bruno
$3230
61 km or 38 mi Alameda
$3255
62 km or 38 mi Tracy
$2114
63 km or 39 mi South San Francisco
$3227
64 km or 40 mi Oakland
$3254