Johannesburg vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Johannesburg Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1079
$971
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2553
$1777
🏠 One person rent
$487
$568
🏘️ Family rent
$837
$574
🍽️ Food expenses
$302
$243
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$92.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1695
$1724
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
29 km
🎓 Higher education
72
62
😀 Quality of life
58
39
🏙️ Population
4.43M
1.27M

The cost of living in Johannesburg is 11% more expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 5069th and 5883rd ($1079 vs $971) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 5th in South Africa.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Johannesburg compared to 1.8 months in Soweto. Ranked 2nd vs 11th best cities to live in South Africa, and 5446th vs 7063rd among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Johannesburg vs Soweto infographic

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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
$9.91
$6.55
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.5
$28
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.08
$4.09
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.31
$2.03
☕ Cappuccino
$2.04
$2
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.01
$1.01
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$405
$883
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$361
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$781
$544
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$657
$421
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$72.2
$61.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$111
$92.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.3
$35.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.54%
11.43%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1096
$917
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$753
$735
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.89
$2.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$81.8
$32.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.6
$8.62
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.37
$1.23
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1
$0.99
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.29
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.66
$2.68
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.3
$7.79
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.16
$4.33
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.49
$6.47
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$1.63
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.62
$1.53
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.48
$1.48
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.66
$1.53
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.4
$1.36
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.62
$0.62
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.51
$1.23
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.14
$7.71
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.36
$1.52
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.19
$2.72
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.05
$3.04
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.18
$2.59
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2
$1.25
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.53
$0.52
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$33.1
$13.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.67
$6.19
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$29.8
$22
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.42
$3.15
👖 Brand Jeans
$51.5
$50.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$91.2
$74.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$241
$216
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$5865
$4830

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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
$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

Cities near Soweto

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Johannesburg
$1079
24 km or 15 mi Randburg
$874
26 km or 16 mi Sandton
$997
46 km or 28 mi Vereeniging
$717
46 km or 29 mi Benoni
$822
48 km or 30 mi Vanderbijlpark
$768
56 km or 34 mi Centurion
$838
58 km or 36 mi Springs
$696
66 km or 41 mi Pretoria
$909
73 km or 45 mi Brits
$848
91 km or 56 mi Potchefstroom
$717
92 km or 57 mi Rustenburg
$943
137 km or 85 mi Klerksdorp
$689
159 km or 99 mi Bethal
$819
166 km or 103 mi Kroonstad
$788
170 km or 106 mi Middelburg
$841
222 km or 138 mi Welkom
$774
228 km or 142 mi Mmabatho
$809
249 km or 155 mi Lobatse
$692
266 km or 165 mi Gaborone
$718
282 km or 175 mi Butha-Buthe
$559
290 km or 180 mi Kanye
$690
315 km or 196 mi Molepolole
$654
321 km or 199 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
329 km or 204 mi Mbabane
$623
335 km or 208 mi Vryheid
$791
341 km or 212 mi Maseru
$627
350 km or 217 mi Manzini
$459
354 km or 220 mi Bloemfontein
$696
367 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$663
399 km or 248 mi Mafeteng
$581
412 km or 256 mi Kimberley
$859
420 km or 261 mi Palapye
$554
446 km or 277 mi Pietermaritzburg
$674
447 km or 278 mi Serowe
$600
461 km or 286 mi Matola
$1003
472 km or 293 mi Maputo
$1116
506 km or 314 mi Durban
$834
567 km or 353 mi Francistown
$585
595 km or 370 mi Xai-Xai
$1045