Cost of Living Calculator
Compare the monthly cost of living in South Africa's major cities — Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, and Port Elizabeth. Enter your actual expenses or use our SA city averages to find your estimated monthly budget.
How to Use the Cost of Living Calculator
- Select Your City: Choose the city you live in or plan to move to.
- Accommodation Type: Select "Own place" for solo renting, "Shared house" to split rent, or "With family" if rent-free.
- Enter Your Expenses: Fill in your actual monthly costs for each category, or use the defaults as a starting estimate.
- The calculator shows your total monthly cost, annual total, and the recommended monthly take-home salary needed.
The Extended Calculator below compares budgets for single, couple, and family and shows a comparison bar chart across cities. The Professional Calculator computes salary adjustment between cities and analyses the housing vs commute trade-off.
| Category | Johannesburg | Cape Town |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | R 8 500 | R 10 878 |
| Food & Groceries | R 4 000 | R 5 119 |
| Transport | R 1 000 | R 1 280 |
| Utilities | R 1 500 | R 1 920 |
| Entertainment | R 1 800 | R 2 304 |
| TOTAL | R 16 800 | R 21 500 |
SA City Cost of Living Comparison (2026)
Estimated monthly costs for a single person (own 1-bed apartment)
Cape Town: R22,000–R30,000/month
Johannesburg: R18,000–R24,000/month
Pretoria: R15,000–R20,000/month
Durban: R14,000–R18,000/month
Port Elizabeth: R12,000–R16,000/month
Bloemfontein: R10,000–R14,000/month
Includes rent, groceries, transport, utilities, and entertainment. Cape Town is 25–35% more expensive due to property costs.
Worked Example: Single Person in Johannesburg
Monthly budget estimate for Johannesburg (2026)
Rent (1-bed, Braamfontein/Midrand): R9,500
Groceries: R3,500
Transport (car + petrol or Gautrain): R2,500
Utilities (electricity, water, internet): R1,800
Entertainment & dining: R1,500
Insurance & medical: R2,000
Total: ~R20,800/month
Recommended take-home salary (70% to expenses): R29,700/month
| Category | Johannesburg | Cape Town | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent/Housing | R 8 500 | R 11 475 | +R 2 975 |
| Car/Transport | R 5 000 | R 6 750 | +R 1 750 |
| Groceries | R 4 000 | R 5 400 | +R 1 400 |
| Entertainment | R 2 000 | R 2 700 | +R 700 |
| Other | R 3 000 | R 4 050 | +R 1 050 |
Housing vs Commute Trade-Off Analysis (Cape Town)
| Scenario | Rent | Commute Cost | Total | Hrs/Month Commuting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner city (walk/cycle) | R 11 475 | R 0 | R 11 475 | 11 hrs |
| Inner suburbs (10km) | R 9 410 | R 1 200 | R 10 610 | 22 hrs |
| Outer suburbs (25km) | R 7 459 | R 2 200 | R 9 659 | 44 hrs |
| Satellite town (50km) | R 5 738 | R 3 500 | R 9 238 | 66 hrs |