East London at a glance
- East London is the cheapest of South Africa's 7 priced cities: $762 a month in essentials, 40% below Cape Town at $1,265.
- The average net salary of $1,640 covers that 2.2×.
- 95.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at local municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 7 South Africa cities we track, so every row says whether East London is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $762 | $893 | $131 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $250 | $368 | 1.47× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $285 | $451 | 1.58× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $104 | $113 | $9 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $196 | $225 | $29 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $166 | $167 | $1 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $46 | $60 | 1.30× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,640 | $1,451 | $188 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $640 | $768 | $128 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $540 | $850 | 1.57× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in East London, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.30 | $10.80 | $1.50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $37.49 | $40.79 | $3.30 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.70 | $5.70 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.10 | $2.25 | $0.15 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.70 | $2.55 | $0.15 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.15 | $3.15 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.03 | $1.11 | $0.08 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.74 | $0.85 | $0.11 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.15 | $1.26 | $0.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.91 | $1.03 | $0.12 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.47 | $1.72 | $0.25 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.22 | $2.47 | $0.25 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.60 | $8.60 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.34 | $5.30 | $0.04 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.50 | $1.86 | $0.36 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.50 | $1.72 | $0.22 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.54 | $1.71 | $0.17 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.69 | $1.54 | $0.15 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.39 | $1.44 | $0.05 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.94 | $1.15 | $0.21 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.50 | $1.65 | $0.15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $46.49 | $59.99 | 1.29× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.20 | $0.84 | 1.43× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.48 | $0.75 | 1.56× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.31 | $1.43 | $0.12 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $122.16 | $122.16 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $43.59 | $39.55 | $4.04 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $32.69 | $32.69 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $38.99 | $31.49 | $7.50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $4.65 | $6.75 | 1.45× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
East London has 95.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (local municipality level). That is the 9th-highest of 10 South Africa cities we track. South Africa's national figure is 99.4, so East London runs 4 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How East London ranks against every city we track
East London sits ahead of 92% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 86% of 553. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 2% of 562.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where East London sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Murgatroyd49, CC BY 4.0.
