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Jeddah vs Johannesburg cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ธ๐ฆ Jeddah
๐ฟ๐ฆ Johannesburg
At a glance
- Where Johannesburg is clearly cheaper: SIM card (70%โ), Coffee (47%โ), Beer (37%โ)
- Where Jeddah is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (53%โ), Half-day tour (36%โ), Street food (22%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Johannesburg is easier to travel (2.2 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: language โ Jeddah 3 vs Johannesburg 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Jeddah | Johannesburg | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | SAR 30$8 | R 170$9.71 | Jeddah โ18% |
| Street food1 item | SAR 12$3.2 | R 72$4.11 | Jeddah โ22% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | SAR 90$24 | R 440$25.1 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | SAR 17$4.53 | R 42$2.4 | Johannesburg โ47% |
| Beerone bottle | SAR 15$4 | R 44$2.51 | Johannesburg โ37% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | SAR 30$8 | R 90$5.14 | Johannesburg โ36% |
| Bottled water | SAR 1.5$0.4 | R 15$0.86 | Jeddah โ53% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | SAR 3$0.8 | R 18$1.03 | Jeddah โ22% |
| Taxi5 km in town | SAR 20$5.33 | R 100$5.71 | Jeddah โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | SAR 12$3.2 | R 45$2.57 | Johannesburg โ20% |
| Transitone ride | SAR 3.45$0.92 | R 18$1.03 | Jeddah โ11% |
| Scooter rentalper day | SAR 100$26.7 | R 450$25.7 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | SAR 350$93.3 | R 1,900$109 | Jeddah โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | SAR 2,000$533 | R 9,000$514 | similar |
| Laundry | SAR 12$3.2 | R 44$2.51 | Johannesburg โ21% |
| SIM card1 week data | SAR 100$26.7 | R 140$8 | Johannesburg โ70% |
| Haircutcut | SAR 35$9.33 | R 130$7.43 | Johannesburg โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | SAR 200$53.3 | R 600$34.3 | Johannesburg โ36% |
| Half-day tourper person | SAR 150$40 | R 1,100$62.9 | Jeddah โ36% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | SAR 40$10.7 | R 210$12 | Jeddah โ11% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Jeddah or Johannesburg?
Jeddah and Johannesburg cost about the same. Daily budget $167 vs $187; a month $2,420 vs $2,301.
Which is easier to travel, Jeddah or Johannesburg?
Johannesburg is easier: Johannesburg 2.2/5 vs Jeddah 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Jeddah and Johannesburg?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jeddah is about $2,420 and Johannesburg about $2,301 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.