Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,110 a month against $1,279 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,110

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in George and in Pretoria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in George and in Pretoria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,110 in George versus $1,279 in Pretoria.

George $1,110
Pretoria $1,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,847 in George versus $1,979 in Pretoria.

George $1,847
Pretoria $1,979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,584 in George versus $2,678 in Pretoria.

George $2,584
Pretoria $2,678

Living in George costs roughly 13% less than in Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: George 18% lower, Pretoria 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 R 181

$9.28 R 155

16.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.91 R 700

$36.09 R 603

16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 R 82.6

$5.20 R 87.0

-4.81%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.61

$2.18 R 36.49

-2.29%

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

$1.05 R 17.60

$1.03 R 17.20

1.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.96

$0.85 R 14.12

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 R 45.14

$2.61 R 43.68

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 R 54.3

$3.24 R 54.1

0.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.16

$1.17 R 19.53

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.93

$1.13 R 18.80

-10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.12

$1.83 R 30.61

-18.03%

Eggs

$2.79 R 46.67

$2.40 R 40.06

16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 R 145

$8.16 R 136

6.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 R 88.3

$4.97 R 83.0

6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 R 112

$7.38 R 123

-9.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 28.02

$1.70 R 28.44

-1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.82

$1.61 R 26.92

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.89

$1.77 R 29.63

-15.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.91

$1.56 R 26.13

10.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.51

$1.12 R 18.69

52.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 R 23.34

$1.22 R 20.35

14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.83

$1.22 R 20.44

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.62

$1.27 R 21.21

-22.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 R 53.4

$3.17 R 53.0

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 R 83.1

$4.94 R 82.6

0.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R 21.46

$1.50 R 25.05

-14.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 29.20

$1.92 R 32.00

-8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.65

$4.77 R 79.7

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.91 R 466

$179 R 2,989

-84.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.68

$0.29 R 4.83

120.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 R 7.95

$0.79 R 13.25

-39.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 R 144

$14.24 R 238

-39.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.89

$1.55 R 25.83

-19.35%

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

$29.9K R 499.8K

$35.0K R 584.6K

-14.51%

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

$30.0K R 500.9K

$35.0K R 584.5K

-14.30%

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

$123 R 2,054

$148 R 2,480

-17.17%

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

$17.56 R 293

$36.56 R 611

-51.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.26 R 773

$36.12 R 603

28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.43 R 508

$31.26 R 522

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.78 R 180

$10.56 R 176

2.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 R 99.0

$7.29 R 122

-18.66%

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

$139 R 2,326

$263 R 4,400

-47.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,219 R 87.2K

$7,829 R 130.8K

-33.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 R 1,204

$52.1 R 870

38.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.64 R 646

$31.93 R 533

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R 1,866

$91.8 R 1,534

21.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 R 1,450

$82.2 R 1,373

5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 R 7,169

$450 R 7,518

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 R 6,056

$359 R 6,003

0.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 R 12.9K

$1,040 R 17.4K

-25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 R 15.6K

$735 R 12.3K

27.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 R 14.3K

$869 R 14.5K

-1.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$690 R 11.5K

$664 R 11.1K

3.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 R 22.4K

$1,386 R 23.2K

-3.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.34

-3.70%

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

Last update for George: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

George

$362 32.6%

Pretoria

$359 28.1% 0.9% $3.1

Groceries & Markets

George

$188 17%

Pretoria

$192 15% 1.7% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George

$187 16.8%

Pretoria

$221 17.3% 18.4% $34

Eating Out

George

$155 13.9%

Pretoria

$143 11.2% 7.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

George

$139 12.5%

Pretoria

$116 9.1% 16.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

George

$42 3.8%

Pretoria

$46 3.6% 8.4% $3.5

Getting Around

George

$37 3.3%

Pretoria

$202 15.8% 449% $165

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in George and $450 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pretoria pays 4% 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: $42 in George vs $36 in Pretoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $192, with George cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 George

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

Same time as George

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,580

741,651 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

George Pretoria 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

George
Pretoria

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

George vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in George. 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: $429 in George versus $450 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George runs roughly 84% less than in Pretoria. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,110 per month in George versus $1,279 in Pretoria – George is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though George gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – George wins on affordability, Pretoria on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.