Vancouver vs Johannesburg Cost of Living

Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8Johannesburg (South Africa) · Overall index 29.9

Summary

  • Overall, Johannesburg is 56% cheaper than Vancouver.
  • Rent in Johannesburg is 74% cheaper than in Vancouver.
  • Transport in Johannesburg is 55% cheaper than in Vancouver.
ItemVancouverJohannesburgDiff
Rent-74%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$2,238$575-74%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$1,452$334-77%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$3,668$1,156-68%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$2,620$689-74%
Groceries-49%
Milk (1L)$1.13$0.59-48%
White bread (500g)$3.03$1.7-44%
Rice (1kg)$4.07$2.08-49%
Eggs (12)$3.5$2.05-41%
Local cheese (1kg)$12.4$5.54-55%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$11.4$5.16-55%
Beef round (1kg)$15.3$8.21-46%
Apples (1kg)$4.33$2.41-44%
Bananas (1kg)$1.87$0.92-51%
Oranges (1kg)$3.85$1.97-49%
Tomatoes (1kg)$4.99$2.22-56%
Potatoes (1kg)$2.7$1.21-55%
Onions (1kg)$2.44$1.31-46%
Lettuce (1 head)$2.27$1.01-56%
Water (1.5L bottle)$1.83$1.04-43%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$12.8$6.75-47%
Transport-55%
Public transport, one-way ticket$2.09$0.81-61%
Public transport, monthly pass$103$41.5-60%
Taxi, base fare$2.83$1.34-53%
Taxi, per km$1.43$0.62-57%
Gasoline (1L)$0.7$0.35-50%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$20,323$10,194-50%
Dining out-54%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$18.3$8.84-52%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$96.1$39.7-59%
Fast food combo meal$8.11$4.59-43%
Cappuccino$4.64$2.06-56%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$1.84$0.83-55%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$6.06$2.38-61%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$6.37$2.81-56%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$1.63$0.78-52%
Telecom-43%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$47.5$28.5-40%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$62.1$29.2-53%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.28$0.17-39%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$13.4$8.09-40%
Utilities & household-52%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$156$69.4-56%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.19$0.1-47%
Tap water (1m³)$4.27$1.99-53%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.21$0.6-50%
Waste collection (monthly)$18$9.8-46%
Fitness club (monthly)$74.4$35.4-52%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$13.6$5.71-58%
Men's haircut$25.1$12-52%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$22.4$9.85-56%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$1,656$812-51%

3,115 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

Keep your standard of living

Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.

Compare other cities

vs

Frequently compared