Johannesburg Still South Africa’s Priciest City for Groceries, But One Metro Is Quietly Catching Up

If you’ve felt like your grocery trolley in Johannesburg is getting lighter even though your receipt is getting longer , you’re not imagining it. For the fifth consecutive month, Joburg has officially retained its title as the most expensive city in South Africa to buy groceries, according to the latest household food basket data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group.

The PMBEJD tracks the cost of 44 essential food items across the country’s major metros. And while food inflation has technically slowed, the lived reality for most households, particularly in Gauteng tells a different story.

R5,554 vs. R5,229, The Big City Price Divide

Here’s what a basic monthly food basket cost in September 2025:

Johannesburg shoppers are paying R174.99 more than the national average, and nearly R200 more than Cape Town residents for exactly the same basic foods. And while Cape Town saw one of the steepest annual increases, it’s actually Durban that’s becoming the quiet bargain city, even nudging past Cape Town as the cheapest metro for groceries.

Social media has had plenty to say about it. One X (formerly Twitter) user joked, “Durban doesn’t have load shedding, and now it has cheaper groceries? At this point, we’re all moving to KZN.”

What’s Getting Cheaper and What’s Becoming a Luxury?

Here’s the good news:

• White rice (-7.2%), hot cereals (-7.8%), and bread and pasta are either cheaper or barely moving in price compared to last year.

• Food inflation cooled to 5.2%, down from 5.7% in July.

• Fuel is also easing, with petrol down 28c per litre.

But there’s a sting in the steak, literally.

• Beef mince is up 27.2% year-on-year.

• Stewing beef? A shocking 32.3% more expensive.

• Even maize meal, the cornerstone of the South African diet, climbed 8.2%.

The culprit? A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak ravaged feedlots earlier in the year, tightening supply and sending beef prices soaring. For many families, Sunday roast has officially become a payday luxury.

And it’s not just food. Believe it or not, books (+30.8%), movie tickets (+15.9%), and video games (+14.7%) are now climbing faster than bread and milk.

Education and entertainment have quietly joined steak in the “look but don’t touch” aisle.

So Why Is Joburg So Expensive?

Several economists suggest that logistics and retail markup play a bigger role in Gauteng. Smaller neighbourhood supermarkets, especially in townships often sell essentials like maize meal and meat at higher prices due to transport costs and bulk-breaking.

Meanwhile, Durban benefits from port proximity, and Cape Town has more aggressive retail competition, particularly between Pick n Pay, Checkers and Woolworths.

Johannesburg, despite being the economic hub, is increasingly the worst place in South Africa to feed a family on a budget.

What Next for Households?

Consumers have started strategically shifting buying patterns:

• Bulk buying co-ops are popping up in Joburg suburbs and townships alike.

• TikTok and Instagram are filled with “R500 challenge” grocery hacks, with Durban users often showing off surprisingly generous hauls compared to Gauteng counterparts.

• More people are ditching red meat entirely and turning to chicken, legumes or tinned protein.

Inflation might be slowing on paper, but for most South Africans, the real cost of living battle is fought in the supermarket aisle.

And for now, if you’re living in Johannesburg, brace yourself. That basket isn’t getting lighter anytime soon.

But if you’ve got friends in Durban… it might be time to phone a favour.

{Source: BusinessTech}

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