Johannesburg vs Sao Paulo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg Sao Paulo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1082
$1052
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2560
$2682
🏠 One person rent
$485
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$833
$872
🍽️ Food expenses
$306
$302
🚐 Transport expenses
$206
$143
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1614
$701
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
74
95
😀 Quality of life
62
69
🏙️ Population
4.43M
11.5M

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 3% more expensive than in Sao Paulo. Cities ranked 5031st and 5192nd ($1082 vs $1052) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 1st in South Africa and Brazil, respectively. Check South Africa vs Brazil comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.5 months in Johannesburg compared to 0.7 months in Sao Paulo. Johannesburg ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs Sao Paulo ranked 1st in Brazil, while ranked 5648th and 4142nd among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Johannesburg vs Sao Paulo infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Johannesburg vs Sao Paulo

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

Johannesburg Sao Paulo
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.1
$7.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$38.1
$34
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.03
$7.12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.51
$2.3
☕ Cappuccino
$2.18
$2.55
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.08
$1.19
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$462
$622
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$342
$380
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$824
$1124
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$632
$691
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$78.5
$48.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$122
$75
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40.5
$18.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.57%
12.27%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1106
$2855
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$741
$1938
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.21
$0.96
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$77.1
$48.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.7
$7.53
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.32
$1.11
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.28
$1.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.01
$1.56
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.19
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.6
$2.66
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.5
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.34
$4.68
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.4
$9.54
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$2.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$1.84
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$1.61
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$1.82
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$1.39
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.6
$1.26
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.66
$0.48
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.53
$1.98
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.13
$8.72
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.46
$1.3
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.19
$2.55
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.86
$6.16
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.11
$4.2
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.98
$1.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.49
$1.39
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.6
$27.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.33
$7.81
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$29.7
$65.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.46
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$52.2
$55.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.1
$92.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$227
$475
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5503
$15428

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 Sao Paulo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Sao Caetano do Sul
$737
13 km or 8.3 mi Taboao da Serra
$701
14 km or 8.6 mi Guarulhos
$697
15 km or 9.4 mi Diadema
$698
16 km or 9.7 mi Santo Andre
$690
16 km or 10 mi Osasco
$712
17 km or 11 mi Sao Bernardo do Campo
$656
21 km or 13 mi Carapicuiba
$605
22 km or 14 mi Maua
$691
23 km or 15 mi Caieiras
$687
25 km or 15 mi Embu das Artes
$704
25 km or 16 mi Barueri
$830
26 km or 16 mi Mairipora
$671
26 km or 16 mi Franco da Rocha
$699
27 km or 17 mi Ferraz de Vasconcelos
$643
28 km or 17 mi Jandira
$699
29 km or 18 mi Ribeirao Pires
$665
29 km or 18 mi Itapecerica da Serra
$706
30 km or 18 mi Poa
$639
30 km or 18 mi Cotia
$780
30 km or 19 mi Itaquaquecetuba
$671
31 km or 19 mi Itapevi
$654
31 km or 19 mi Santana de Parnaiba
$689
32 km or 20 mi Francisco Morato
$702
33 km or 20 mi Itanhaem
$666
33 km or 20 mi Cajamar
$693
36 km or 22 mi Embu-Guacu
$678
36 km or 22 mi Aruja
$664
41 km or 26 mi Campo Limpo Paulista
$685
43 km or 26 mi Varzea Paulista
$687
44 km or 27 mi Cubatao
$657
45 km or 28 mi Mogi das Cruzes
$741
48 km or 30 mi Jundiai
$737
49 km or 30 mi Atibaia
$618
51 km or 32 mi Sao Roque
$673
52 km or 32 mi Sao Vicente
$648
55 km or 34 mi Santos
$816
56 km or 35 mi Praia Grande
$638
61 km or 38 mi Bertioga
$659
61 km or 38 mi Ibiuna
$666