Johannesburg vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Johannesburg (South Africa) · Overall index 29.9 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 218% more expensive than Johannesburg.
- Rent in San Francisco is 572% more expensive than in Johannesburg.
- Transport in San Francisco is 216% more expensive than in Johannesburg.
| Item | Johannesburg | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +572% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $575 | $3,208 | +458% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $334 | $2,609 | +681% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,156 | $7,487 | +548% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $689 | $4,864 | +606% |
| Groceries | +147% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.59 | $1.31 | +122% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.7 | $4.2 | +147% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.08 | $5.82 | +180% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.05 | $4.57 | +123% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.54 | $16.3 | +194% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.16 | $12.6 | +144% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $8.21 | $22.3 | +172% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.41 | $5.88 | +144% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.92 | $2.46 | +167% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.97 | $4.54 | +130% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.22 | $5.5 | +148% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.21 | $3.06 | +153% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.31 | $2.72 | +108% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.01 | $2.75 | +172% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.04 | $2.41 | +132% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.75 | $15.4 | +128% |
| Transport | +216% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.81 | $3.1 | +283% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $41.5 | $139 | +235% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.34 | $4.48 | +234% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.62 | $1.91 | +208% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.35 | $0.99 | +183% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,194 | $27,640 | +171% |
| Dining out | +194% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.84 | $21.5 | +143% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $39.7 | $115 | +190% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4.59 | $11.6 | +153% |
| Cappuccino | $2.06 | $5.52 | +168% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.83 | $3.04 | +266% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.38 | $8.59 | +261% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.81 | $8.71 | +210% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.78 | $2.32 | +197% |
| Telecom | +123% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $28.5 | $68.5 | +140% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $29.2 | $71.8 | +146% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.17 | $0.37 | +118% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.09 | $15.8 | +95% |
| Utilities & household | +166% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $69.4 | $176 | +154% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.1 | $0.23 | +130% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.99 | $5.1 | +156% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.6 | $1.47 | +145% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $9.8 | $25.8 | +163% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $35.4 | $94.8 | +168% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $5.71 | $17.5 | +206% |
| Men's haircut | $12 | $33.2 | +177% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $9.85 | $29.6 | +201% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $812 | $2,199 | +171% |
3,228 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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