New York vs Johannesburg Cost of Living
New York (United States) · Overall index 100.0 — Johannesburg (South Africa) · Overall index 29.9
Summary
- Overall, Johannesburg is 70% cheaper than New York.
- Rent in Johannesburg is 87% cheaper than in New York.
- Dining out in Johannesburg is 68% cheaper than in New York.
| Item | New York | Johannesburg | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -87% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $4,328 | $575 | -87% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,796 | $334 | -88% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,980 | $1,156 | -86% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,915 | $689 | -86% |
| Groceries | -62% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.48 | $0.59 | -60% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.03 | $1.7 | -58% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.54 | $2.08 | -62% |
| Eggs (12) | $5.18 | $2.05 | -60% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.5 | $5.54 | -66% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.6 | $5.16 | -62% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.8 | $8.21 | -64% |
| Apples (1kg) | $6.73 | $2.41 | -64% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.56 | $0.92 | -64% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $5.31 | $1.97 | -63% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $6.04 | $2.22 | -63% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.01 | $1.21 | -60% |
| Onions (1kg) | $3.09 | $1.31 | -58% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.85 | $1.01 | -65% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.81 | $1.04 | -63% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $17 | $6.75 | -60% |
| Transport | -68% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.75 | $0.81 | -71% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $145 | $41.5 | -71% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.13 | $1.34 | -68% |
| Taxi, per km | $2.06 | $0.62 | -70% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.93 | $0.35 | -62% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $29,178 | $10,194 | -65% |
| Dining out | -68% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $25.5 | $8.84 | -65% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $140 | $39.7 | -72% |
| Fast food combo meal | $12.7 | $4.59 | -64% |
| Cappuccino | $5.58 | $2.06 | -63% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.23 | $0.83 | -74% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.19 | $2.38 | -71% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.34 | $2.81 | -66% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.48 | $0.78 | -69% |
| Telecom | -53% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $64.2 | $28.5 | -56% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $66.9 | $29.2 | -56% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.38 | $0.17 | -55% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.9 | $8.09 | -46% |
| Utilities & household | -63% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $173 | $69.4 | -60% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.25 | $0.1 | -60% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.81 | $1.99 | -59% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.75 | $0.6 | -66% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $23.6 | $9.8 | -58% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.7 | $35.4 | -63% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.6 | $5.71 | -66% |
| Men's haircut | $36.8 | $12 | -67% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $25.1 | $9.85 | -61% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,473 | $812 | -67% |
3,126 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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