Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Centurion versus $1,349 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,278 in Centurion versus $2,045 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Centurion versus $2,741 in Pretoria.

Living in Centurion is roughly 4% more expensive than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Centurion 4% above, Pretoria 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.70 R 356

$9.06 R 149

139.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.89 R 672

$38.59 R 634

5.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.78 R 94.9

$5.33 R 87.5

8.44%

Cappuccino

$2.60 R 42.77

$2.27 R 37.29

14.54%

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

$1.02 R 16.69

$1.06 R 17.48

-3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.39

$0.90 R 14.71

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R 35.15

$2.56 R 42.03

-16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 R 39.11

$3.12 R 51.2

-23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.70

$1.22 R 20.06

-1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 R 19.97

$1.11 R 18.16

9.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.13

$1.79 R 29.39

22.91%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.1

$2.52 R 41.43

23.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 R 169

$8.29 R 136

23.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 R 112

$5.15 R 84.5

33.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R 118

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.12

$1.82 R 29.81

0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.58

$1.61 R 26.50

15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 R 36.24

$1.75 R 28.70

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 R 35.03

$1.59 R 26.09

33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.29

$1.14 R 18.65

40.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.66

$1.23 R 20.13

47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 R 22.64

$1.20 R 19.68

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.23

$1.36 R 22.27

3.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 R 59.6

$3.24 R 53.3

12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 99.5

$5.21 R 85.6

16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 R 26.30

$1.52 R 24.93

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R 33.48

$1.93 R 31.68

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 R 40.64

$4.77 R 78.4

-48.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 R 1,621

$182 R 2,997

-45.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R 19.55

$0.31 R 5.11

283.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 R 19.58

$0.81 R 13.28

46.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 R 151

$14.91 R 245

-38.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 24.00

$1.52 R 24.92

-3.95%

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

$35.3K R 579.2K

$36.4K R 597.7K

-3.09%

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

$33.0K R 542.1K

$34.7K R 569.9K

-4.88%

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

$142 R 2,333

$153 R 2,507

-6.96%

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

$30.36 R 499

$38.02 R 624

-20.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 R 663

$36.88 R 606

9.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 R 732

$31.83 R 523

39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.74 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 R 173

$7.41 R 122

41.84%

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

$320 R 5,260

$261 R 4,288

22.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,439 R 72.9K

$8,084 R 132.8K

-45.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 958

$54.1 R 889

7.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 R 727

$32.80 R 539

34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,982

$91.8 R 1,508

31.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 R 1,711

$83.8 R 1,376

24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 R 5,690

$458 R 7,528

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 R 6,091

$407 R 6,681

-8.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 R 9,657

$965 R 15.9K

-39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 R 15.3K

$752 R 12.3K

24.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$518 R 8,510

$900 R 14.8K

-42.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$625 R 10.3K

$713 R 11.7K

-12.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,370 R 38.9K

$1,416 R 23.3K

67.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.34

-7.41%

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

Last update for Centurion: September 27, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Centurion and $458 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 67% 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: $41.00 in Centurion vs $39.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $195 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

Centurion vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pretoria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Centurion, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $346 in Centurion versus $458 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pretoria runs roughly 85% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 in Centurion versus $261 in Pretoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,349 in Pretoria versus $1,409 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pretoria but tight or insufficient in Centurion. The gap between the two cities makes Pretoria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pretoria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,349 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pretoria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion and Pretoria are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pretoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.