Surrey vs. Johannesburg: Detailed 2026 Comparison

This analysis provides a detailed comparison between living in Surrey, United Kingdom, and Johannesburg, South Africa, focusing on key quality of life indicators and cost of living metrics for the year 2026. While both locations offer distinct lifestyles, the data reveals significant differences in affordability, safety, healthcare access, environmental factors, and daily expenses. This comparison aims to help potential residents understand the trade-offs involved in choosing between these two diverse cities. Surrey generally presents a higher quality of life based on standard international indices, although Johannesburg shows notable strengths. The Safety Index is considerably higher in Surrey (89.30) compared to Johannesburg (19.19), suggesting a lower perceived risk of crime in Surrey. Johannesburg's Health Care Index (60.45) is slightly better than Surrey's (60.45), indicating comparable levels of healthcare access and quality, though both could be considered room for improvement relative to some global standards. The Climate Index favors Surrey (91.38) slightly over Johannesburg (91.38), a negligible difference. Significantly, Johannesburg's Pollution Index (61.95) is much lower than Surrey's (31.10), indicating cleaner air in Johannesburg. The overall Cost of Living Index is substantially higher in Surrey (89.30) than in Johannesburg (41.55), reflecting the broader affordability differences across most categories. Johannesburg is significantly more affordable than Surrey across nearly all categories. For Restaurants, a mid-range meal for two is much cheaper in Johannesburg (approx. $8.56 USD equivalent) compared to Surrey (approx. $42.80 USD equivalent). Basic groceries are also substantially less expensive in Johannesburg. Transportation costs are vastly different: a monthly public transport pass is cheaper in Johannesburg ($70.35 USD equivalent) than in London (where the data for Surrey's commuting costs is derived, approx. $234.00 USD equivalent). Owning a car, particularly a standard model like the Toyota Corolla, is also significantly less expensive in Johannesburg ($20,745 USD equivalent) than in the UK ($32,640 USD equivalent). Utilities for a standard apartment are marginally higher in Johannesburg ($109.82 USD equivalent) than in the UK ($102.00 USD equivalent), but the difference is less pronounced than in other areas. Childcare costs are lower in Johannesburg ($439.00 USD equivalent annually for private preschool) compared to the UK ($1,200.00 USD equivalent). The Property Price to Income Ratio is much lower in Johannesburg (2.82) than in Surrey (7.69), indicating that housing costs are a much smaller proportion of average income in Johannesburg. The stark difference in affordability extends to housing. The Price per Square Meter for an apartment is significantly lower in Johannesburg ($779.29 USD equivalent) than in Surrey ($1,068.21 USD equivalent), both for city center and outer areas. Similarly, the rental yield per square meter is much lower in Johannesburg ($414.88 USD equivalent) than in Surrey ($852.54 USD equivalent). While the Average Monthly Net Salary is higher in the UK ($4,800 USD equivalent) than in Johannesburg ($2,460 USD equivalent), the much higher cost of living in Surrey ($4,800 USD equivalent) results in a much lower salary-to-cost ratio compared to Johannesburg ($1.05). Beyond the overall cost of living index, specific transportation and utility costs confirm Johannesburg's lower expense. A monthly public transport pass is significantly cheaper in Johannesburg ($70.35 USD equivalent

Climate Index

88.6 / 91.4

Cost of Living Index

67.6 / 41.6

Surrey   Johannesburg

Health Care Index

67.2 / 60.5

Pollution Index

32.3 / 62

Surrey   Johannesburg

Purchasing Power Index

121.1 / 116.5

Quality of Life Index

161.1 / 142.2

Surrey   Johannesburg

Safety Index

35.5 / 19.2

Traffic Commute Time Index

36.7 / 40.7

Surrey   Johannesburg