Cheapest priced cityEast London$762 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityCape Town$1,265 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$394across 7 priced cities
East London vs the worldCheaper than 372 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signal90 days visa-free for the US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia and most Western/high-income nationalities; a Remote Work Visa (from 2025) gives digital nomads up to 3 years on a foreign income.as of 2026-07
City-by-city monthly costs
Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.
| East London | $762 | 95.6 local municipality | $250 | $285 | $104 | $196 | $166 | $46 | $1,640 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | $813 | 96.6 local municipality | $280 | $315 | $107 | $241 | $110 | $75 | $1,300 |
| Durban | $856 | 100.8 local municipality | $368 | $451 | $113 | $164 | $189 | $22 | $1,206 |
| George | $893 | 104 local municipality | $364 | $424 | $109 | $225 | $167 | $28 | $1,340 |
| Pretoria | $1,075 | 106 local municipality | $404 | $456 | $116 | $190 | $188 | $177 | $1,451 |
| Johannesburg | $1,130 | 106 local municipality | $416 | $518 | $121 | $250 | $253 | $90 | $1,694 |
| Cape Town | $1,265 | 99 local municipality | $674 | $992 | $126 | $250 | $155 | $60 | $1,591 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
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Photo: Der Berzerker from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0.
