Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,274 per month in Cape Town vs $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $1,592 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Cape Town vs $2,133 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 21% more than Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Pietermaritzburg 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 179

$7.92 R 131

37.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 743

$43.07 R 711

4.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 R 85.3

$5.57 R 92.0

-7.18%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.77

$2.14 R 35.27

-7.01%

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

$1.15 R 18.92

$0.93 R 15.28

23.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.49

$0.70 R 11.56

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 47.43

$1.64 R 26.98

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.43

$2.42 R 39.96

1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.21

$1.04 R 17.20

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.17

$0.82 R 13.51

34.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.32

$1.52 R 25.05

25.00%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.79

$2.28 R 37.58

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 R 141

$7.26 R 120

17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 83.2

$4.66 R 76.9

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 124

$7.06 R 117

5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.01

$1.60 R 26.33

-5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.42

$1.69 R 27.85

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$1.93 R 31.82

-24.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.50

$1.73 R 28.58

-10.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.51

$1.53 R 25.20

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.47

$1.75 R 28.88

-29.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.94

$1.23 R 20.38

-11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.79

$0.91 R 14.95

5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R 49.78

$2.89 R 47.71

4.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 99.4

$4.02 R 66.3

49.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$1.40 R 23.08

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.55

$1.78 R 29.38

-6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.01

$2.64 R 43.62

-63.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 779

$18.28 R 302

158.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.67

$1.71 R 28.16

-16.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.41

$0.52 R 8.61

78.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 R 73.7

$4.13 R 68.1

7.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.65

$1.21 R 20.04

-1.65%

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

$21.2K R 350.2K

$23.7K R 391.0K

-10.43%

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

$23.9K R 394.4K

$22.8K R 376.9K

4.63%

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

$99.4 R 1,641

$232 R 3,822

-57.06%

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

$33.36 R 550

$30.00 R 495

11.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 R 675

$58.2 R 960

-29.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 R 693

$38.55 R 636

8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.18 R 135

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 113

$5.11 R 84.3

34.44%

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

$210 R 3,467

$151 R 2,489

39.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 R 88.3K

$4,784 R 78.9K

11.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 920

$62.6 R 1,033

-10.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 R 554

$38.00 R 627

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,867

$180 R 2,967

-37.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R 1,413

$74.3 R 1,226

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R 12.7K

$205 R 3,383

274.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,631

$188 R 3,105

177.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R 24.0K

$511 R 8,438

184.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 R 17.2K

$383 R 6,319

172.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 R 38.4K

$3,624 R 59.8K

-35.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 R 24.9K

$447 R 7,383

237.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 R 26.4K

$1,071 R 17.7K

49.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.5

2.35%

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

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Cape Town versus $205 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 49% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $177 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cape Town vs Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 21% more than Pietermaritzburg, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,911 per month in Cape Town and $1,578 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, 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 $1,274 in Cape Town and $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 158% less in Pietermaritzburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pietermaritzburg, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Cape Town at $1,274. In Pietermaritzburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pietermaritzburg costs $1,052 versus $1,274 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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