Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Grahamstown versus $1,379 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,838 in Grahamstown versus $2,091 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,504 in Grahamstown versus $2,804 in Pretoria.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 15% less than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 15% below, Pretoria is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 R 185

$9.37 R 151

22.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.64 R 703

$38.72 R 624

12.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 R 101

$5.68 R 91.5

10.92%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 36.15

$2.28 R 36.75

-1.75%

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

$1.04 R 16.78

$1.08 R 17.39

-3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.39

$0.87 R 13.98

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 R 46.04

$2.67 R 43.00

7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R 53.3

$3.34 R 53.9

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 18.86

$1.27 R 20.39

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.35

$1.17 R 18.84

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.88

$1.85 R 29.79

-16.76%

Eggs

$2.90 R 46.62

$2.60 R 41.93

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 R 143

$8.35 R 134

6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 R 91.8

$4.98 R 80.3

14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 R 145

$7.53 R 121

19.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 R 36.16

$1.91 R 30.80

17.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.50

$1.67 R 26.87

-5.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.14

$1.78 R 28.64

-5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.68

$1.68 R 27.02

5.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.88

$1.16 R 18.72

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.52

$1.19 R 19.08

22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R 21.51

$1.26 R 20.25

6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.51

$1.33 R 21.35

-22.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 R 55.5

$3.31 R 53.2

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 R 82.4

$5.18 R 83.5

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.43

$1.59 R 25.56

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.22

$2.05 R 32.95

-11.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 R 22.94

$4.75 R 76.4

-70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,012

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.37

$0.29 R 4.75

120.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.30

$0.83 R 13.44

-37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 R 137

$14.81 R 239

-42.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 23.88

$1.55 R 25.00

-4.52%

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

$36.2K R 583.2K

$36.4K R 586.3K

-0.53%

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

$34.6K R 557.9K

$35.2K R 567.0K

-1.61%

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

$125 R 2,010

$160 R 2,580

-22.10%

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

$35.71 R 575

$38.55 R 621

-7.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.78 R 753

$37.82 R 609

23.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.24 R 584

$33.38 R 538

8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 R 175

$7.33 R 118

48.57%

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

$188 R 3,028

$270 R 4,342

-30.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,099 R 82.1K

$7,992 R 128.7K

-36.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 R 1,164

$55.3 R 891

30.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.22 R 632

$32.75 R 527

19.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,858

$96.7 R 1,557

19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,634

$85.8 R 1,382

18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 R 7,027

$467 R 7,513

-6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 R 6,009

$424 R 6,831

-12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 R 13.1K

$1,019 R 16.4K

-20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 R 12.4K

$785 R 12.6K

-2.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,009 R 16.3K

$903 R 14.5K

11.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 R 10.3K

$713 R 11.5K

-10.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 R 20.0K

$1,454 R 23.4K

-14.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.34

5.29%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: September 6, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Grahamstown and $467 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pretoria pays 17% 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: $44.00 in Grahamstown vs $39.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $199 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

Grahamstown vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Pretoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Pretoria. 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: $436 in Grahamstown versus $467 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pretoria pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,172 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,379 in Pretoria – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,172 in Grahamstown versus $1,379 in Pretoria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.