Cape Town vs Johannesburg: New Stats Show How Much More CPT Residents Pay to Live

• Official Stats SA figures show Cape Town property prices jumped 12% year-on-year, nearly triple Johannesburg's 4.9% rise
• New estimates reveal Cape Town renters pay almost double what Joburg residents pay, despite earning similar salaries
• South Africans are divided over what is driving the Mother City's skyrocketing housing costs

New official figures have laid bare just how much more expensive it has become to live in Cape Town compared to Johannesburg, with property prices and rental rates in the Mother City pulling far ahead of the country's economic hub.

According to Statistics South Africa's June 2026 Residential Property Price Index, residential property values across South Africa's metros rose by 8% year-on-year on average. Cape Town led the country with a 12% annual increase, recording a further 1% rise between May and June alone. Johannesburg came in at 4.9%, while Ekurhuleni posted 7.2%. At a provincial level, Western Cape property price inflation hit 11.6%, compared to Gauteng's 4.9%.

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Cape Town outperformed Johannesburg in every individual property category. Sectional title prices rose 11.7% in Cape Town against just 1.4% in Johannesburg. Freehold properties climbed 10.4% versus 9%, and resold homes grew 11.8% compared to 4.3%.

Cape Town rents nearly double those in Joburg

The rental picture is even starker. Estimates from Numbeo show that a one-bedroom city-centre apartment in Cape Town costs around R17,188 per month, consuming roughly 62% of the average monthly net salary of R27,541. The same apartment in Johannesburg costs approximately R8,620, which is about 31% of an average net salary of R27,795.

Outside the city centre, one-bedroom units rent for R10,679 in Cape Town and R6,936 in Johannesburg. For families needing three bedrooms, city-centre rents average R29,010 in Cape Town versus R17,908 in Johannesburg. Suburban three-bedroom units cost R20,847 and R14,953 respectively. Per-square-metre purchase prices in Cape Town's centre reach R37,954, more than double Johannesburg's R17,264.

The two cities carry near-identical average salaries, yet Cape Town residents face vastly higher housing costs, raising serious questions about affordability for ordinary South Africans.

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The figures stirred heated debate on a Facebook post, with South Africans split on what is driving the gap:

@William Jantjies said:

"It's because Cape Town is the only functional city in South Africa."

@Craig Norman wrote:

"Supply and demand. At some point the demand drops. Prices will then stabilise or fall. If the government were competent in other provinces, fewer people would flock here..."

@Darryn Lochner pointed out:

"12% in property but salaries grow by 2%–7% year on year."

@Alain Samy said:

"Driven by Airbnb, tourists and foreign pensioners."

@Sinton Damons reflected:

"When you're the victim of your own success."

@Nkolisa Nicholas Andile raised a sharper concern:

"Who exactly is renting these apartments? The reality is that most ordinary South Africans simply cannot afford these exorbitant rental prices. So, who are these properties being developed for, and which section of the population is actually benefiting from this so-called development?"

More on property in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on former Springbok Patrick Lambie’s property career after his retirement from rugby.
• A South African woman in New York commissioned a home inspired by her Cape childhood, and online viewers took a second look.
• A Constantia estate linked to Princess Diana has gone on the market in Cape Town.

Source: Briefly News