South Africa, Johannesburg

Country Full Name: Republic of South Africa.

Location: South Africa is at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.

Country Climate: Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.

Country Terrain: Vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain.

Major Languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu.

Major Religions: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs.

Population: 3.9 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of South Africa is a two tiered economy; one rivalling other developed countries and the other with only the most basic infrastructure. It is therefore a productive and industrialised economy that exhibits many characteristics associated with developing countries, including a division of labour between formal and informal sectors and an uneven distribution of wealth and income. The primary sector, based on manufacturing, services, mining, and agriculture, is well developed.

Currency: South African Rand (ZAR). Make an international currency transfer to South Africa.

Inflation: 6.1% (2011 est.).

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Johannesburg is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and is also the world's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline. Johannesburg is one of the world's leading financial centres and it is the economic and financial hub of South Africa, producing 16% of South Africa's gross domestic product, and accounts for 40% of Gauteng's economic activity.

The cost of living in Johannesburg in South Africa is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Johannesburg in South Africa is currently ranked 216 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 327 places that are more expensive, and 452 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 677 places that are more expensive, and 102 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 468 places that are more expensive, and 311 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 217 places that are more expensive, and 562 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 242 places that are more expensive, and 537 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 587 places that are more expensive, and 192 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 482 places that are more expensive, and 297 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 124 places that are more expensive, and 655 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 346 places that are more expensive, and 433 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 506 places that are more expensive, and 273 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 91 places that are more expensive, and 688 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 562 places that are more expensive, and 217 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 159 places that are more expensive, and 620 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Johannesburg in South Africa are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Johannesburg in South Africa is ranked as some hardship with a hardship index of 20%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Johannesburg in South Africa are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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