Johannesburg vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1171
$1057
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2754
$1932
🏠 One person rent
$522
$620
🏘️ Family rent
$894
$639
🍽️ Food expenses
$337
$268
🚐 Transport expenses
$216
$99.3
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1761
$1631
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
29 km
🎓 Higher education
73
63
😀 Quality of life
65
48
🏙️ Population
4.8M
1.27M

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 11% more expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 4839th and 5251st ($1171 vs $1057) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 6th in South Africa.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.5 months in Johannesburg compared to 1.5 months in Soweto. Ranked 1st vs 8th best cities to live in South Africa, and 5190th vs 6890th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Johannesburg vs Soweto

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

Johannesburg Soweto
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$11.5
$7.11
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$43.9
$30.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.73
$4.5
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$2.17
☕ Cappuccino
$2.48
$2.37
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.16
$1.15
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$448
$942
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$377
$394
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$804
$587
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$689
$452
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$91
$79.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$142
$124
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40
$36.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.13%
11.11%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1058
$933
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$785
$779
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.12
$2.16
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$88.7
$35.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.88
$9.53
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.4
$1.29
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.43
$1.19
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.16
$1.06
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.66
$1.52
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.52
$2.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.48
$8.88
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.59
$4.58
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.91
$7.57
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.97
$1.88
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.87
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.87
$1.79
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.99
$1.68
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$1.38
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.75
$1.39
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.75
$0.75
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.62
$1.34
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.21
$7.95
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.66
$1.81
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.47
$3.08
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.83
$3.28
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.49
$2.8
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.29
$1.33
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.41
$0.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$38.5
$15.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.38
$5.97
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$32.1
$23.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$7.19
$3.44
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$52.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$104
$76.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$229
$229
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5808
$4370

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Sandton
$1089
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$958
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$1057
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$892
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$792
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$967
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$1049
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$765
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$865
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$950
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$1017
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$791
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$910
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$899
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$826
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$875
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$826
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$901
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$697
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$731
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$604
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$694
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$652
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$912
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$662
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$573
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$511
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$681
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$628
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$763
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$630
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$551
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$927
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$716
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$916
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$583
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$966
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$948
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$633
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$950

Cities near Soweto

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Johannesburg
$1171
24 km or 15 mi Randburg
$958
26 km or 16 mi Sandton
$1089
46 km or 28 mi Vereeniging
$765
46 km or 29 mi Benoni
$892
48 km or 30 mi Vanderbijlpark
$865
56 km or 34 mi Centurion
$967
58 km or 36 mi Springs
$792
66 km or 41 mi Pretoria
$1049
73 km or 45 mi Brits
$950
91 km or 56 mi Potchefstroom
$791
92 km or 57 mi Rustenburg
$1017
137 km or 85 mi Klerksdorp
$826
159 km or 99 mi Bethal
$910
166 km or 103 mi Kroonstad
$875
170 km or 106 mi Middelburg
$899
222 km or 138 mi Welkom
$826
228 km or 142 mi Mmabatho
$901
249 km or 155 mi Lobatse
$697
266 km or 165 mi Gaborone
$731
282 km or 175 mi Butha-Buthe
$604
290 km or 180 mi Kanye
$694
315 km or 196 mi Molepolole
$662
321 km or 199 mi Teyateyaneng
$573
329 km or 204 mi Mbabane
$652
335 km or 208 mi Vryheid
$912
341 km or 212 mi Maseru
$681
350 km or 217 mi Manzini
$511
354 km or 220 mi Bloemfontein
$763
367 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$628
399 km or 248 mi Mafeteng
$630
412 km or 256 mi Kimberley
$927
420 km or 261 mi Palapye
$551
446 km or 277 mi Pietermaritzburg
$716
447 km or 278 mi Serowe
$583
461 km or 286 mi Matola
$916
472 km or 293 mi Maputo
$966
506 km or 314 mi Durban
$948
567 km or 353 mi Francistown
$633
595 km or 370 mi Xai-Xai
$950