Grocery Price Divide: Why Johannesburg Remains South Africa’s Most Expensive City for Food
New data reveals a persistent and widening cost-of-living gap between South Africa’s major metropolitan areas, with residents of Johannesburg facing significantly higher grocery bills than their counterparts in Cape Town and Durban.
A Seven-Month Streak at the Top
According to the latest Household Affordability Index from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group, Johannesburg in Gauteng has held the unenviable title of the most expensive city for groceries for seven consecutive months as of November 2025.
The average cost of a household food basket, which tracks 44 essential items, reached R5,604.49 in Johannesburg. This is R190.96 above the national average of R5,413.53 and a stark R255.32 more than the same basket costs in Cape Town.
“While the national picture shows some moderation in food price inflation, the regional disparities tell a more complex story,” the data suggests. “The experience of a household in Joburg is fundamentally different from one in Cape Town, despite being part of the same national economy.”
Decoding the National Inflation Trend
The PMBEJD report, which serves as the primary source for this analysis, indicates that the national food basket saw a modest 1.0% annual increase. However, this figure masks significant volatility at the product level.
While 18 of the 44 tracked items became cheaper or saw no price increase, 26 items became more expensive, with eight experiencing double-digit inflation. This creates a challenging environment for consumers, who must navigate a market where the price of essentials like stewing beef has surged by nearly 31% year-on-year, even as items like eggs and milk have become cheaper.
This bifurcated inflation landscape means that a family’s grocery bill is heavily influenced by their specific dietary needs and purchasing patterns, with meat-heavy households feeling the pinch far more acutely.
The Cape Town and Durban Dynamic
In a notable shift, Cape Town has now surpassed Durban as the most affordable major metro for groceries, though it still experienced a 1.7% annual price increase. Durban’s food basket, meanwhile, saw a negligible annual decrease of just R0.64.
The month-on-month data provides further nuance. While Johannesburg’s basket price increased from October to November, both Cape Town and Durban saw decreases, suggesting that the pricing pressures are not only persistent but also dynamic across regions.
Broader Economic Implications
The sustained premium for groceries in Gauteng raises important questions about regional economic pressures, including transport costs, supply chain efficiencies, and local market competition. For workers and families, this geographic price disparity has real consequences for disposable income and quality of life.
As the South African Reserve Bank continues to monitor national inflation figures, this data underscores the importance of considering sub-national trends. A one-size-fits-all monetary policy may not adequately address the varied inflationary experiences of consumers across the country’s economic hubs.
This analysis is based on data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group’s Household Affordability Index for November 2025. The original report can be accessed via BusinessTech.