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 $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,607 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $2,153 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 20% 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

$11.02 R 179

$8.32 R 135

32.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 731

$42.99 R 699

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$5.76 R 93.6

-14.76%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.49

$2.24 R 36.35

-10.71%

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

$1.10 R 17.94

$0.88 R 14.31

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.43

$0.69 R 11.20

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.56

$1.67 R 27.13

71.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.35

$2.35 R 38.12

5.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.61

$1.05 R 17.04

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.59

$0.80 R 13.06

35.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.38

$1.50 R 24.33

24.67%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.11

$2.35 R 38.19

5.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 139

$6.99 R 114

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.5

$4.71 R 76.5

9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 124

$6.82 R 111

12.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.24

$1.66 R 26.91

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.26

$1.76 R 28.61

-15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.94 R 31.58

-23.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.85

$1.74 R 28.20

-8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.54

$1.54 R 25.11

-29.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.16

$1.76 R 28.64

-29.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.83

$1.30 R 21.06

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.57

$1.00 R 16.19

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.33

$2.93 R 47.55

3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 100

$3.55 R 57.6

74.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.97

$1.43 R 23.27

-1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.23

$1.78 R 28.92

-5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.17

$2.73 R 44.44

-65.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 779

$18.34 R 298

161.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.43

$1.69 R 27.48

-18.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.14

$0.52 R 8.49

78.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 70.9

$3.98 R 64.7

9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.33

$1.20 R 19.47

4.17%

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

$21.3K R 346.9K

$23.4K R 380.4K

-8.82%

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

$24.5K R 397.5K

$22.9K R 371.7K

6.92%

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

$98.3 R 1,598

$238 R 3,861

-58.63%

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

$33.19 R 539

$30.61 R 497

8.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 662

$58.3 R 948

-30.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 677

$38.05 R 618

9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$4.94 R 80.3

32.59%

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

$211 R 3,435

$148 R 2,401

43.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.1K

$4,723 R 76.8K

12.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 906

$62.2 R 1,011

-10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 533

$37.81 R 615

-13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,869

$178 R 2,885

-35.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,374

$75.4 R 1,226

12.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.4K

$202 R 3,280

278.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,453

$184 R 2,986

183.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.2K

$523 R 8,492

173.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$379 R 6,161

167.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.1K

$916 R 14.9K

155.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.5K

$442 R 7,187

240.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.4K

$919 R 14.9K

83.21%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $202 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 83% 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: $189 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 20% 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 $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $1,591 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 $1,273 in Cape Town and $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 161% 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 $1,061, than in Cape Town at $1,273. 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 $1,061 versus $1,273 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.