Cost of Living Comparison Between Boksburg and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Boksburg and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Boksburg versus $1,379 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,967 in Boksburg versus $2,091 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,667 in Boksburg versus $2,804 in Pretoria.

Living in Boksburg costs roughly 8% less than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boksburg is 8% below, Pretoria is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.56 R 202

$9.37 R 151

34.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.33 R 746

$38.72 R 624

19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 R 90.8

$5.68 R 91.5

-0.70%

Cappuccino

$2.34 R 37.63

$2.28 R 36.75

2.63%

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

$1.13 R 18.12

$1.08 R 17.39

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.94

$0.87 R 13.98

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.54

$2.67 R 43.00

-17.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 44.01

$3.34 R 53.9

-18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R 21.82

$1.27 R 20.39

6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.48

$1.17 R 18.84

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.62

$1.85 R 29.79

-3.78%

Eggs

$2.67 R 43.04

$2.60 R 41.93

2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 R 150

$8.35 R 134

11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 R 89.7

$4.98 R 80.3

11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 R 142

$7.53 R 121

17.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.74

$1.91 R 30.80

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.96

$1.67 R 26.87

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 R 29.96

$1.78 R 28.64

4.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.04

$1.68 R 27.02

14.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.07

$1.16 R 18.72

55.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.73

$1.19 R 19.08

60.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 19.58

$1.26 R 20.25

-3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.48

$1.33 R 21.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 R 56.2

$3.31 R 53.2

5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 R 103

$5.18 R 83.5

24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.15

$1.59 R 25.56

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R 31.95

$2.05 R 32.95

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 R 76.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,012

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.23

$0.29 R 4.75

10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 12.67

$0.83 R 13.44

-4.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.22 R 245

$14.81 R 239

2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.22

$1.55 R 25.00

-3.23%

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

$36.5K R 588.3K

$36.4K R 586.3K

0.34%

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

$34.4K R 554.3K

$35.2K R 567.0K

-2.23%

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

$222 R 3,574

$160 R 2,580

38.49%

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

$39.12 R 630

$38.55 R 621

1.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.72 R 624

$37.82 R 609

2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.35 R 473

$33.38 R 538

-12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 R 135

$7.33 R 118

14.60%

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

$257 R 4,145

$270 R 4,342

-4.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,776 R 93.0K

$7,992 R 128.7K

-27.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 R 878

$55.3 R 891

-1.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.11 R 775

$32.75 R 527

46.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 R 1,708

$96.7 R 1,557

9.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 R 1,794

$85.8 R 1,382

29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 R 5,477

$467 R 7,513

-27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,814

$424 R 6,831

-14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 R 10.9K

$1,019 R 16.4K

-33.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 R 12.8K

$785 R 12.6K

1.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 R 14.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$915 R 14.7K

$1,454 R 23.4K

-37.07%

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 Boksburg: September 7, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in Boksburg and $467 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pretoria pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Boksburg vs $39.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $199 per month, with Pretoria cheaper across the board.

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

Boksburg vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boksburg and Pretoria differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,267 vs $1,379 including rent). Boksburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Pretoria. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $340 in Boksburg versus $467 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pretoria pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,267 per month in Boksburg versus $1,379 in Pretoria – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,267 in Boksburg versus $1,379 in Pretoria, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boksburg but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Boksburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Boksburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.