Inside the most expensive city to buy groceries in SA

South Africans living in Gauteng are paying the highest grocery prices in the country, with the latest data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) showing that Johannesburg recorded the most expensive household food basket among the major metros.

The findings highlight the growing pressure on household budgets in the country’s economic hub as food prices remain stubbornly high.

The PMBEJD Group tracks monthly the prices of food that low-income consumers buy, with the help of women living in low-income communities, at the stores where they shop for their own families.

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Household basket decreases

The women track prices of 44 foods in the household food basket. PMBEJD Group revealed that the cost of the average household food basket decreased by R17.63 from R5 401.44 in January 2026 to R5 383.81 in February 2026.

However, the cost of the average household food basket increased by R70.59 from R5 313.22 in February 2025 to R5 383.81 in February 2026.

The report shows that certain foods in the household food basket are usually bought before other items. These are called ‘Core foods’, and they increased by R14.09 in February 2026.

Core food in groceries

The PMBEJD Group said the core foods are bought first, and these foods ensure that families do not go hungry, whilst ensuring that meals can be cooked.

“When the prices of core foods increase, there is less money to secure other important, mostly nutritionally-rich foods, which are essential for health and well-being and a strong immune system.

“The data shows that the core foods contribute 53% of the total cost of the Household Food Basket. At an average cost of R2 836.87 in February 2026, these foods are very expensive relative to the total money available in the household purse for food.”

PMBEJD Group added that core foods must be bought regardless of price escalations. “The high cost of core staple foods results in a lot of proper nutritious food being removed from the family plates.”

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*Core food prices. Picture: Report Screenshot.*

How much does food cost in metros?

This is the eighth consecutive month that the report has named Johannesburg the most expensive place to buy groceries. The household food basket cost R5 614.40 in the City of Gold, an increase from R5 515.69 in January 2026.

For February, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, overtook Cape Town, Western Cape, as the second-most expensive major metro.

In Durban, the household food basket cost R5 289.44, a decrease from R5 295.36 in January. The household food basket cost R5 232.82 in Cape Town in February, down from R5 389.36 in January.

Food inflation

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) declined to 3.5% in January from 3.6% in December, returning to its November 2025 level.

Dr Elna Moolman, Standard Bank’s group head of South Africa macroeconomic research, said food inflation was 4.4% year-on-year and may ease over the course of this year, supported by ample stocks and supply across many food types, both domestically and globally.

Moolman said foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) poses a risk to meat prices, although there appears to be progress in procuring vaccines.

Stats SA found that rising meat prices continue to place pressure on South Africans’ wallets. The annual rate for meat accelerated to 13.5% from December’s 12.6%. “This is the highest print for the category since December 2017 (13.9%),” reads the data.

The increase in core foods was not bad enough to offset the average cost of the household food basket.

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