cost-of-living

• Cost of Household Food Basket in different areas

  Description: The monthly cost of a basket of food that a low-income South African household of seven people typically tries to buy each month. The basket was designed by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) with women living on low incomes, based on the foods and quantities they say they aim to secure. It contains 44 food items. It reflects what households actually buy under tight budgets, not an ideal diet, and is not nutritionally complete. Women shoppers collect the prices from the supermarkets and butcheries that serve low-income areas, and it reflects their choices in switching to cheaper brands or stores in order to find specials, meaning the data represents what households really pay each month. This data is published monthly as part of the Household Affordability Index.

  DS0467 Economy & Business cost-of-livingfoodfood povertygrocery-basketinflation
  Geography: South Africa Period: 2020-09 to 2026-09 Source: Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group

  Last updated: 15 October 2026

  Charts
  • CH0215 Price of a basket of food in different parts of South Africa