There’s no place like Johannesburg. As the heart and soul of urban South Africa, the city of gold attracts people of all backgrounds to its vibrant streets and soaring business landscape. But for those moving from elsewhere, it can seem a little overwhelming because you might not know what to expect.
To help you figure this out, let's unpack some of the details about the cost of living in Johannesburg. Of course, we’re going to be talking about averages here — so your mileage may vary, but hopefully, it gives you a sense of what a typical life in Joburg might cost you.
Housing in Johannesburg varies dramatically depending on the area in which you choose to stay. So, it’s important that you plan your Jozi suburbs of choice carefully depending on where you will be working and what access to various amenities matters to you and your family.
According to the latest 2023 Prop Data Report, the average rental in Gauteng is R8 691. Areas around Johannesburg had the second-slowest rental growth in the country at 3.1%. For students looking for some more affordable accommodation, Johannesburg offers a range of student accommodation solutions that don't break the tight student-budget.
For those looking at making a property investment, according to Property24, the average sold price in Johannesburg in 2024 is R1 475,000. The price, however, will vary depending on your neighbourhood and the size of your property. Here's how much it costs to buy a property in Johannesburg based on the size of your property
| Number of Rooms | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Other |
| Average Asking Price | R590000 | R580000 | R839000 | R1 450000 | R2 250000 | R2 450 000 | R4 000000 |
To add to the price of your house, you must also include the necessary utilities that come with running your home. Here's a look at the typical prices of utilities in Johannesburg.
Electricity costs can vary quite a lot, depending on the size of your house, the number of people and the types of appliances you use. While households can consume up to 700kWh per month, the average electricity use in South Africa is around 210kWh per month. This results in the average cost of electricity in Johannesburg being just over R790 per month.
Another factor to consider regarding electricity is the infamous loadshedding. To help cope with the many hours of darkness each day, many resort to finding other means of keeping the lights on such as diesel-powered generators, solar panels, inverters, etc. This can bump up your costs to keep the electricity flowing in your household.
Your electricity costs can also depend on whether you have postpaid or prepaid electricity. For the former, you simply get a bill at the end of the month telling you how much electricity you've used. But with prepaid electricity, you have the opportunity to not only measure and manage your usage as you go along, but you can also take advantage of the cheaper times of the month to help keep your electricity bill down.
While all households in Johannesburg get their first 6kl of water for free, most households use between 20 - 40kl of water per month which leads to an average water bill between R253 and R911.
A decent uncapped fibre connection in Johannesburg is going to set you back somewhere between R700 and R1,500 depending on your speed of choice and the specific provider you are with.
A good data plan on your cell phone is also a crucial component of staying connected as you’re out and about. This can cost you anywhere from R100 per month all the way up to R500 per month — it’s really up to how much data you need. These costs can creep up on you — so watch out. South Africa has some of the most expensive mobile data in the world.
Eating in is always a great way to save some extra bucks. However, the cost of your groceries can vary quite a bit depending on what and where you buy — whether you only shop at Woolies or always have your Checkers Xtra savings card ready to swipe. To give you an idea of Johannesburg's grocery costs, here's a list of the basics with their average price:
| Food | Price |
| 1l of Milk | R16 |
| Loaf of Bread | R18 |
| 12 Eggs | R23 |
| 1kg of Apples | R24 |
| 500g of Local Cheese | R76 |
| 1kg of Potatoes | R31 |
| 4 Pack of Chicken Breasts | R50 |
One of the most compelling characteristics of Johannesburg is the quality of restaurant food that you can get at relatively competitive prices.
A fast-food meal will generally cost you between R75 and R125 per meal, depending on where you go. This is mostly in line with the rest of the country. But you can also treat yourself to high-quality restaurant cuisines from around the world and spend anything from R100 - R600 per person per meal (excluding drinks).
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If you’re looking for some recommendations for the best restaurants in the city, check these out (in no particular order):
This barely scratches the surface of what’s on offer in Johannesburg, so be sure to ask some locals about the hidden gems that might just take your breath away.
P.S. The standard tipping etiquette in Johannesburg restaurants is 10% of the bill. Don’t forget to add that on!
While Johannesburg has some of the best public transport systems in the country, most Joburgers get around with their own car. And as home to some of South Africa's richest, you may even spot some luxury cars on Joburg's streets. The average price of a new car in Johannesburg is R355 000, though you can find cheaper vehicles if you opt for a used car.
Don't forget about petrol! Depending on your type of engine, filling up your tank can cost between R600 - R1200. If you fill up once a week, petrol could start costing you about R2400 - R4800 per month. Plus, you also have to think about car insurance.
With your own private transport comes the added stress and cost of parking in the city.
Johannesburg’s economy is built around large shopping districts, so you’ll typically be driving into a paid parking area in most cases, as opposed to parking on the street. Parking fees tend to be quite reasonable, and you should never really be paying more than R10 - R15 unless you’re staying somewhere for a long time.
It’s also worth noting that in most parking areas, you’ll see car guards who watch your vehicles while you shop. These guards mostly rely on tips so if you’re there for a while and your guard is still there when you get back, a small tip will not go unappreciated.
Public transport in Johannesburg follows the same structures as the rest of the country. The informal minibus taxis ferry millions of people around the city on very affordable fares ranging from R15 - R100, depending on how far you’re going. They are also renowned for their ability to carve their way through traffic in some very “creative” ways.
The other alternative is to use ride-sharing apps like Uber or Bolt that will bring you a private vehicle to take you where you need to go. These are more expensive and tend to range from R75-- R300 for most journeys within the city.
Lastly, the most recent addition is the Gautrain which is a high-speed railway that connects OR Tambo International Airport with Pretoria, Marlboro, Midrand, Sandton, and Rosebank.
Prices vary from R34 - R206 per trip depending on the distance — but it offers incredible convenience and time-saving, especially when you’re arriving from the airport. Pair the train ride with an accompanying Gautrain bus and you might just find that you can get all the way to your door in no time.
Contrary to popular belief, there is lots to keep you entertained in Johannesburg, with an endless list of things to do in the city of gold. Whether you’re looking for a quiet bar or a raving club, a theatre show or a stand-up comedy event, there is something for everyone. The cost ranges across the board depending on the type of event and where it is in the city.
Here are some typical sources of entertainment and a rough idea of what it might set you back:
| Entertainment | Average Price |
| Movies for 2 | R220 |
| Theatre show | R100 - R350 per person |
| Beer in a bar | R25 - R65 per drink |
| Cappuccino at a cafe | R35 |
| Club entrance | R100 - R300 |
| Gym membership | R200 - R1000 per month |
But if you don’t want to spend money, there are a multitude of different parks, art galleries, hikes, and much more to keep you busy on a budget!
That was a lot of numbers —we know. Let's take the basics that you need to survive and put it all together to determine the total basic cost of living in Johannesburg (on average, of course).
| Expense | Average Monthly Cost |
| Housing (Renting) | R8 691 |
| Electricity | R790 |
| Water | R582 |
| Wifi/Internet | R1 100 |
| Food | R4 000 |
| Car (incl. petrol, insurance and maintenance) | R11 627 |
| Entertainment | R2 000 |
| Total basic cost of living | R28 790 |
Bear in mind that these are very simplistic figures that can vary greatly depending on your situation. There are are also still quite a number of expenses to factor in. But this should hopefully give you a general idea and good starting point to understanding the cost of living in Johannesburg.
While you can always try to find a place with a low cost of living, it's important to remember that the cost of living in a city is always relative to how much you earn. Like with most cities, to live in Johannesburg costs more than most places in South Africa, but you also end up earning more than you can anywhere else.
Johannesburg is known as the business hub of Africa for a reason, and the salaries that you can earn here are significantly higher than what you’ll find around the rest of the country. With that being said, a lot depends on the type of company you’re working for and what position you’re able to secure.
The average gross annual salary in Johannesburg is around R400 000. It’s worth noting though that is this heavily skewed by some of the outlying salaries on the high end earned by executives in large JSE-listed corporations. So, it’s worth tracking your specific profession to get a sense of what you might earn in Johannesburg. But it’s safe to expect at least a 15 - 20% increase if you’re coming from another city in the country (with the exception of Cape Town, which might have a smaller gap).
We hope this guide gives you a decent sense of what life in Johannesburg might cost you. If you are looking to move to the city of gold, we’d love to help you here at Wise Move.
Our platform allows you to gather quotes from a number of different moving services, allowing you to get the best deal possible for your specific move. Forget having to do hours of research only for your chosen provider to pull out. With Wise Move, you can let us bring you the best of the best so that you can focus on what really matters — your new life.
Get in touch and let’s see how we can help. Get your quote from Wise Move today. We can’t wait to see you in Johannesburg soon!
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