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 $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,600 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $2,129 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 53% more than Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Pietermaritzburg is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 195

$7.92 R 126

54.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 780

$37.51 R 598

30.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.1

$5.78 R 92.2

-2.25%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.04

$2.44 R 38.96

8.20%

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

$1.31 R 20.98

$1.21 R 19.29

8.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.87

$1.02 R 16.33

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.5

$2.33 R 37.23

36.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 60.5

$2.61 R 41.71

45.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.00

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.70

$0.95 R 15.18

29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.75

$1.79 R 28.52

21.79%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.51

$3.33 R 53.1

-8.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 146

$7.20 R 115

27.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 110

$5.24 R 83.5

31.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 149

$6.93 R 111

34.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.18

$2.10 R 33.52

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.44

$2.02 R 32.25

0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.60

$2.40 R 38.32

-30.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.38

$2.05 R 32.74

8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.38

$1.79 R 28.53

-14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.78

$1.81 R 28.91

-10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.27

$1.59 R 25.34

-16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.78

$1.11 R 17.67

6.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.3

$3.27 R 52.1

9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 99.6

$4.06 R 64.8

53.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.41

$1.42 R 22.69

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 36.93

$1.84 R 29.42

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.14

$2.97 R 47.32

-51.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 981

$19.96 R 318

208.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.29

$1.71 R 27.20

-61.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.80

$1.07 R 17.00

51.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 80.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.04

$1.41 R 22.55

11.35%

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

$37.1K R 591.6K

$27.8K R 442.7K

33.65%

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

$33.2K R 529.3K

$27.6K R 440.1K

20.28%

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

$121 R 1,925

$210 R 3,351

-42.56%

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

$30.79 R 491

$32.58 R 520

-5.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 631

$38.29 R 611

3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 808

$44.49 R 710

13.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 188

$3.10 R 49.40

280.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 149

$4.88 R 77.8

91.60%

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

$265 R 4,232

$186 R 2,970

42.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 104.6K

$5,342 R 85.2K

22.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 918

$58.3 R 930

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 528

$35.24 R 562

-6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,927

$120 R 1,915

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,752

$70.4 R 1,122

56.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.5K

$228 R 3,636

354.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.6K

$227 R 3,616

220.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.2K

$617 R 9,841

207.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.7K

$424 R 6,763

220.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 39.7K

$6,128 R 97.7K

-59.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.8K

$152 R 2,428

960.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.2K

$1,090 R 17.4K

50.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

11.67

-5.57%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $228 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 51% 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $38.00 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $202 – 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 53% more than Pietermaritzburg, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $1,608 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 $1,640 in Cape Town and $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 208% 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 $1,072, than in Cape Town at $1,640. 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 $1,072 versus $1,640 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.