Mbabane vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: March 02, 2025

	Mbabane	Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person	$562	$923
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$1439	$1686
🏠 One person rent	$245	$540
🏘️ Family rent	$484	$553
🍽️ Food expenses	$202	$231
🚐 Transport expenses	$55.5	$88.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$701	$1598
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	27 km	29 km
🎓 Higher education	16	63
😀 Quality of life	38	38
🏙️ Population	60.7K	1.27M

The cost of living in Mbabane is 39% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 8102nd and 5917th ($562 vs $923) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 6th in Eswatini and South Africa, respectively. Check Eswatini vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.2 months in Mbabane compared to 1.7 months in Soweto. Mbabane ranked 1st best city to live in Eswatini vs Soweto ranked 10th in South Africa, while ranked 7231st and 7204th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Mbabane vs Soweto infographic

Share this infographic!

Use the link below to embed the infographic from our site and automatically keep the data layer up to date.

If you prefer to download the image, please credit us as a source.

<img src="https://livingcost.org/assets/photo/cost/mbabane/soweto.jpg" alt="Cost of living in Mbabane vs Soweto infographic" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"><p>Source: <a href="https://livingcost.org/cost/mbabane/soweto" target="_blank">Mbabane vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison</a></p>

Prices in Mbabane vs Soweto

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

	Mbabane	Soweto
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$2.96	$6.16
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$27.1	$26.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$2.22	$3.92
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.78	$2
☕ Cappuccino	$1.65	$2.01
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.9	$0.98
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$221	$827
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$159	$346
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$487	$511
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$360	$396
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$45.7	$64.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$70.6	$100
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$27.3	$33.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	11.73%	11.66%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$330	$850
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$245	$691
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$1.09	$1.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$28.3	$31
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$25.2	$8.52
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.14	$1.16
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.03	$1.02
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$0.74	$0.93
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.22	$1.31
🥚 Eggs, x12	$1.63	$2.45
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$8.71	$7.54
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$4.82	$4.06
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5	$6.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.47	$1.62
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.71	$1.47
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.9	$1.41
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.33	$1.46
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1	$1.23
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.22	$1.23
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.49	$0.59
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.12	$1.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$5.45	$7.06
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.42	$1.43
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.51	$2.68
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$4.16	$2.86
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$3.07	$2.46
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$1.52	$1.17
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.27	$0.49
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$27.2	$12.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$3.51	$5.71
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$17.9	$21.2
💇 Haircut, simple	$4.52	$3
👖 Brand Jeans	$43.6	$45.4
👟 Brand Sneakers	$70.6	$70.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$104	$200
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$4495	$3805

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

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

Cities near Soweto

Distance	City	Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi	Johannesburg	$993
24 km or 15 mi	Randburg	$837
26 km or 16 mi	Sandton	$953
46 km or 28 mi	Vereeniging	$672
46 km or 29 mi	Benoni	$785
48 km or 30 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$773
56 km or 34 mi	Centurion	$807
58 km or 36 mi	Springs	$678
66 km or 41 mi	Pretoria	$906
73 km or 45 mi	Brits	$820
91 km or 56 mi	Potchefstroom	$695
92 km or 57 mi	Rustenburg	$889
137 km or 85 mi	Klerksdorp	$722
159 km or 99 mi	Bethal	$784
166 km or 103 mi	Kroonstad	$768
170 km or 106 mi	Middelburg	$795
222 km or 138 mi	Welkom	$748
228 km or 142 mi	Mmabatho	$780
249 km or 155 mi	Lobatse	$665
266 km or 165 mi	Gaborone	$691
282 km or 175 mi	Butha-Buthe	$535
290 km or 180 mi	Kanye	$664
315 km or 196 mi	Molepolole	$628
321 km or 199 mi	Teyateyaneng	$500
329 km or 204 mi	Mbabane	$562
335 km or 208 mi	Vryheid	$763
341 km or 212 mi	Maseru	$621
350 km or 217 mi	Manzini	$442
354 km or 220 mi	Bloemfontein	$657
367 km or 228 mi	Mahalapye	$631
399 km or 248 mi	Mafeteng	$567
412 km or 256 mi	Kimberley	$814
420 km or 261 mi	Palapye	$540
446 km or 277 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$640
447 km or 278 mi	Serowe	$583
461 km or 286 mi	Matola	$964
472 km or 293 mi	Maputo	$1068
506 km or 314 mi	Durban	$809
567 km or 353 mi	Francistown	$624
595 km or 370 mi	Xai-Xai	$1003