Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,111 per month in Alexandra vs $1,379 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,753 per month in Alexandra vs $2,091 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,395 per month in Alexandra vs $2,804 in Pretoria, rent included.

Alexandra is about 19% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Alexandra sits 19% below the global median, while Pretoria is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.22 R 149

$9.37 R 152

-1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.50 R 639

$38.72 R 626

2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 R 89.0

$5.68 R 91.9

-3.17%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.79

$2.28 R 36.92

-0.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.04

$1.08 R 17.47

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 13.78

$0.87 R 14.04

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 R 36.14

$2.67 R 43.20

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 44.32

$3.34 R 54.1

-17.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.31

$1.27 R 20.48

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 R 18.97

$1.17 R 18.92

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.81

$1.85 R 29.92

-3.78%

Eggs

$2.64 R 42.63

$2.60 R 42.12

1.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 R 139

$8.35 R 135

3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.99 R 80.7

$4.98 R 80.7

0.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 123

$7.53 R 122

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.16

$1.91 R 30.95

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.09

$1.67 R 26.99

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.21

$1.78 R 28.77

5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 25.99

$1.68 R 27.15

-4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R 18.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R 20.29

$1.19 R 19.17

5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 19.51

$1.26 R 20.34

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.05

$1.33 R 21.45

2.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 R 54.0

$3.31 R 53.5

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 R 83.4

$5.18 R 83.8

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.20

$1.59 R 25.68

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 33.21

$2.05 R 33.10

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 R 22.74

$4.75 R 76.8

-70.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,026

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 R 4.81

$0.29 R 4.77

3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R 13.30

$0.83 R 13.51

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 R 242

$14.81 R 240

1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.11

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.8K R 595.4K

$36.4K R 589.0K

1.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.5K R 542.6K

$35.2K R 569.6K

-4.75%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$160 R 2,587

$160 R 2,592

-0.19%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$38.10 R 616

$38.55 R 624

-1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.02 R 615

$37.82 R 612

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.72 R 497

$33.38 R 540

-7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 177

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 R 118

$7.33 R 119

-0.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$256 R 4,140

$270 R 4,362

-5.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,664 R 91.6K

$7,992 R 129.3K

-29.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 903

$55.3 R 895

0.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.18 R 537

$32.75 R 530

1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 R 1,556

$96.7 R 1,564

-0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R 1,399

$85.8 R 1,388

0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 R 6,210

$467 R 7,548

-17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 R 5,523

$424 R 6,862

-19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 R 11.5K

$1,019 R 16.5K

-30.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 R 13.8K

$785 R 12.7K

8.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 R 13.6K

$903 R 14.6K

-6.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 R 9,706

$713 R 11.5K

-15.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,808 R 29.2K

$1,454 R 23.5K

24.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.34

-3.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alexandra: September 6, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $384 in Alexandra versus $467 in Pretoria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Alexandra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Alexandra versus $39.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Alexandra vs $199 in Pretoria – so Pretoria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alexandra vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 24% more than Alexandra, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Alexandra and $2,068 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,111 in Alexandra and $1,379 in Pretoria. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $256 per month in Alexandra and $270 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alexandra, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Pretoria at $1,379. In Alexandra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alexandra – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Alexandra. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.