2.77/5
206 reviews
Photo by Simon Hurry via Unsplash

Cost of Living in Johannesburg

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largest

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Johannesburg, also known as Joburg, receives mixed feedback from visitors and residents. Many people appreciate the friendly locals, fast internet, and affordable cost of living, especially in areas like Sandton, Rosebank, and Parkhurst. These neighborhoods are popular among digital nomads and expats due to their modern apartments, cafes, and quality dining experiences. While there's not a huge nomad scene, those who work online will find what they need and enjoy the lifestyle. Weather is widely praised, and the city serves as a good base for exploring notable attractions like the Cradle of Humankind and Kruger National Park.

However, safety remains a major concern. Several reviewers mention high crime levels, particularly in the Johannesburg CBD, urging visitors to exercise caution and stay in well-known suburbs. Residents and repeat visitors emphasize the importance of thinking like a local and avoiding risky areas if you want to enjoy what Joburg has to offer. While some recommend the city for its affordability and lifestyle perks, others suggest that places like Cape Town may offer a more secure and tourist-friendly experience. Joburg has a lot to offer, but it's not for everyone, and safety awareness is essential.

AI-generated summary of reviews
1 month ago

As a local, born and bred Joburger, I can tell you that there is a lot to love about this city if you know where to look. For the most part, it's orientated around suburbian living. The main city (Johannesburg CBD) is for the most part a no-go because of crime, but if you know some locals you should definitely check it out there are amazing restaurants, theatres and museums to experience there.

Having lived here for 30+ years, I'd recommend checking out Sandton CBD, restaurants in Linden, Wanderers and Bryanston, and rent a car to drive out to The Cradle of Humankind, and visit the Maropeng museum there. There is a lot to do here, you just need to think and act like a local.

If you are travelling to Johannesburg, I also feel like you'd be doing yourself a diss service by not planning a trip to The Kruger National Park.

3 years ago

I am a UK born, East Asian female who lived in Joburg (alone) as an expat for a few years... and I really love it.
Yes, there are safety concerns so you must take precautions, however, I found the locals to be extremely warm and friendly (the one thing I wasn't expecting when I arrived), the weather is spot on, it's very cheap, good quality new build apartments in places like Sandton, Rosebank, Parkhurt, Bryanston etc and AMAZING quality restaurants e.g you can get an excellent fillet steak and a glass of wine for $15 in a high end restaurant. The going out scene was a little quiet but you could definitely find bars clubs open until 2/3 am. Meeting people I found easy as all the locals want to talk to you. A nomad wanting a high quality and cheap lifestyle I think would enjoy it. With that being said, Cape Town would be the better choice for a Nomad in South Africa.

4 years ago

joburg has been a great place to Nomad. Nice coffee shops in the Sandton, Parkhurst and Rosebank area. Very friendly people and fast internet. Rent is pretty cheap. Not much of a nomad scene but there were a decent amount of online entreprenuers around.

4 years ago

I have been to Jo berg twice. The last time being 3-years ago. Each visit was not pleasant as being in the city reminded me of being in Northern Ireland in the early 1980’s. I was in the British military and engaged in various bits and bobs in the most dangerous village in the country (based upon the number of security forces who lost there lives there). The reason I mention this is the ‘vibe’ in Jo Berg is exactly the same as it was in Northern Ireland’s ‘murder central’. The only exception is i was walking around without the comfort of a weapon in my hands and three other desperados backing me up (we operated in 4 man teams). I have had a look at the ‘scores’ section on Jo Berg and it is in no way representative of the situation on the ground. Whether you are an expat, nomad or a whatever please understand that Jo Berg is not a place to go ‘sight seeing’ in unless you have a couple SUV’s rammed with black water personnel following you. Joking aside there are better places to live in Southern Africa.

5 years ago

Johannesburg is a city in and the capital of South Africa. It is also the largest city in Africa. At an elevation of 2,389 metres (7,895 feet) above sea level, it is located at the centre of the Highveld area of the Transvaal Basin, on the east bank of the upper reaches of the Vaal River. It is one of the most developed cities in Africa, and is the major centre of South Africa's economy.

The city is ranked as the 22nd-largest city in the world, and the largest city in Africa, with a population of approximately four million, encompassing a metropolitan area of over ten million. Johannesburg is the largest of South Africa's four national, co-constitutional capital cities, which are also the largest cities in the country.

Johannesburg is usually called Joburg, its nickname, and has been known as the City of Gold, due to the large gold mining industry, the major source of its prosperity, in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is one of the largest stock exchanges on the African continent. The city is a major centre for commerce, industry, entertainment, and culture. Gold is mined in Johannesburg, and many of the city's buildings have a mining theme.

5 years ago

✅ Friendly people

✅ Fast internet

✅ Very affordable

✅ Warm in the spring

✅ Good air quality usually

✅ Nomads.com members liked going here

✅ Many Nomads.com members have been

✅ Spacious and not crowded

✅ Easy to make friends

✅ High quality of education

✅ Great freedom of speech

✅ Democratic

✅ Everyone speaks English

✅ Family friendly

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ Not many people smoke tobacco

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ Safety concerns

❌ Not safe at all

❌ Pretty slow internet

❌ Not much to do

❌ Cold now

❌ Gets cold in the summer

❌ Very dry air now

❌ Not many Nomads.com members right now

❌ Difficult to do business

❌ Roads can be dangerous

❌ Not safe for women

❌ High alcohol consumption

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

24°C / 75°F warm

22°C / 72°F mild

23°C / 73°F mild

22°C / 72°F mild

19°C / 66°F mild

16°C / 61°F cool

14°C / 57°F cool

20°C / 68°F mild

23°C / 73°F mild

21°C / 70°F mild

25°C / 77°F warm

23°C / 73°F mild

Real (median)

24°C / 75°F
warm

22°C / 72°F
mild

23°C / 73°F
mild

22°C / 72°F
mild

18°C / 64°F
cool

16°C / 60°F
cool

14°C / 57°F
cool

19°C / 66°F
mild

23°C / 73°F
mild

21°C / 70°F
mild

25°C / 76°F
warm

23°C / 73°F
mild

Humidity

nice
74%

nice
73%

nice
54%

nice
40%

nice
43%

nice
33%

nice
38%

nice
35%

nice
45%

nice
51%

nice
68%

Most common

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

Rain

rainy
135mm

rainy
131mm

dry
34mm

dry
22mm

dry
6mm

dry
5mm

dry
0mm

dry
3mm

dry
7mm

rainy
71mm

rainy
74mm

rainy
137mm

Cloud

pockets
47%

pockets
42%

pockets
24%

pockets
14%

pockets
16%

clear
10%

clear
3%

clear
8%

pockets
12%

pockets
26%

pockets
29%

pockets
43%

Air quality

clean
18 US AQI

bad
166 US AQI

clean
31 US AQI

clean
25 US AQI

clean
42 US AQI

bad
166 US AQI

okay
61 US AQI

okay
65 US AQI

okay
50 US AQI

clean
27 US AQI

clean
21 US AQI

Sun

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
10 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
10 UVI

avoid sun
11 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

Remote workers

427 people

467 people

689 people

673 people

455 people

345 people

418 people

415 people

280 people

540 people

625 people

400 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Based on Johannesburg's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

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$1,917 / mo

12 Mbps

South Africa

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😙 Affordable

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety very bad

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 14° 57° 14° 57° AQI 107 😷

✈️2h

$2,250 / mo

🌇 Also went here122 people

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🙂 Okay

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

🌤 Feels 50° 122° 38° 100° 🥵 AQI 166 😷

✈️9h

$2,999 / mo

🌇 Also went here79 people

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌧 Feels 29° 84° 26° 80° 🥵

✈️17h

$7,158 / mo

🌇 Also went here68 people

Mexico City

Mexico

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😙 Affordable

📡 InternetWiFi 🙂 Good

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety bad

Tap to open

🌧 Feels 20° 68° 19° 66° AQI 122 😷

✈️19h

$1,917 / mo

🌇 Also went here64 people

400 remote workers in Johannesburg now, of which 2+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	2.77/5 (Rank #187) 206 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍7 liked it 👎1 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Okay
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Okay
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $2,222 / mo
📡 Internet	😡 Slow: 9 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Okay
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥶 A bit cold: 15°C59°F (feels 15°C59°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	🌵 Too dry: 24%
❄️ % of buildings with AC	🥵 Very low: 6%
💨 Air quality (now)	😐 Moderate: 93 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	🌱 Good: 65 US AQI
👌 Safety	Bad
👩 Safe for women	Bad
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Great
🤮 Food safety*	Good
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Very bad
🤝 Lack of racism*	Okay
🎓 Education level*	Mediocre
⚡️ Power grid	Okay
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Great
💰 Income level*	Very low: $425 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Great
😤 People density	🧘‍♀️ Low density: 3k ppl/km² (1 per 17x17m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Bad
✈️ Airline scores*	Good
🧳 Lost luggage*	Great
🏥 Hospitals	Bad
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Bad
📶 Free WiFi in city	Bad
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Okay
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Good
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Continent	Africa
🚩 Country	South Africa
🗓️ Average trip length	10 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	9 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	🌤 15°C 59°F + 🌵 Too dry (24%) = feels 15°C 59°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👎😷 93 US AQI = 🚬 / day
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎😷 65 US AQI
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🚕 Best taxi app*	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 100 ZAR in USD	USD 5.52
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	ZAR 10,000 = USD 552
💸 Tipping	Yes, 12.50%
💳 Cashless	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
🚰 Tap water	👌 Yes, safe to drink
♻️ Return rate	👍14% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	5,537,600 visitors
📸 Tourists now	106,128 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	4,400,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$5,105 / year
😤 Population density	🧘‍♀️ not busy: 17x17m (289m²) per person
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 51% 👱‍♀️ 49%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 49% 👱‍♀️ 51%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 80% 👱‍♀️ 20%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Takealot
🏠 Apartment listings	GumTree
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Kulula
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Emirates

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$2,222 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,095 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$1,888 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$539 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$1,149 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$1,470 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$335 / month
🏠 Median home price	$82,779
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$54 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$48 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$427 / month
🍛 Dinner	$9
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$2
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$2
👩‍🏫 International school	$4,803 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$13 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$4 / trip