Cape Town vs Joburg: Cost comparison for rent, bills, and salaries in 2021

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? But thanks to hundreds of respondents on the Numbeo survey, we can now paint a pretty detailed picture of the cost comparisons between Cape Town and Joburg. The user-generated data gives us an average monthly price for rent, basic bills, and take-home salaries in each city. So, who comes out on top?

Cape Town vs Joburg – the cost comparison for July 2021

Well, it’s a story as old as time, but yes – rent in Cape Town is still vastly more expensive than it is in Joburg. Whether that’s in a one-bed property, a three-bed apartment, or even outside the city centre, the Mother City and its extortionate letting fees can’t lay a glove on the cheap and cheerful prices across JHB:

Rent per month	Cape Town	Johannesburg	Cost comparison
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	R9 892	R6 500	Johannesburg is 34% cheaper
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	R7 152	R6 078	Johannesburg is 15% cheaper
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	R20 327	R14 621	Johannesburg is 28% cheaper
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	R13 261	R11 394	Johannesburg is 14% cheaper

You save on rent in Joburg, but pay more on bills

But whatever is saved in rent in Johannesburg, it soon catches up with you. Not only are your utility bills higher in Gauteng, but the cost of staying connected – via cell phones and the internet – also eclipse comparative rates in CPT.

Utilities per month	Cape Town	Johannesburg	Cost comparison
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water) bills for an apartment	R1 502	R1 600	Cape Town is 6.5% cheaper
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts / Plans)	R1.42	R1.61	Cape Town is 13% cheaper
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	R801	R925	Cape Town is 15.5% cheaper

You earn more in Cape Town, but more often than not, you’re left with less disposable income

It’s also worth noting that the average salary for a CPT-based worker is higher than that of their Johannesburg counterparts, with employees bringing in approximately R2 500 more each month. That really levels the playing field, but alas, the most models for city-centre rent payments suggest that Joburg gives you more bang for your buck.

Salary and ‘value for money’	Cape Town	Johannesburg	Cost comparison
Average Monthly Post-Tax Salary	R22 548	R20 015	Cape Town is 11.25% better off
What you pay for rent and basic utilities	R11 394	R8 100	Joburg is 29% cheaper
Monthly costs for internet / 60 minutes on mobile tariff	R886	R1 021	Cape Town is 13% more affordable
Amount left after taking living costs off salary	R10 268	R10 894	Joburg provides 5.5% more ‘disposable income’

• However, if Capetonians were to live outside the city – in a property of any size – rent costs drop dramatically, and they would actually be left with slightly more disposable income that those living in Jozi. Go figure…