Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,124 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,379 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,727 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,091 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,804 in Pretoria, rent included.

Hillcrest is about 18% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Hillcrest sits 19% below the global median, while Pretoria is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.86 R 127

$9.37 R 151

-16.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.70 R 623

$38.72 R 624

-0.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R 99.3

$5.68 R 91.5

8.45%

Cappuccino

$2.86 R 46.07

$2.28 R 36.75

25.44%

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

$1.13 R 18.21

$1.08 R 17.39

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.93

$0.87 R 13.98

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.48

$2.67 R 43.00

-5.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R 42.37

$3.34 R 53.9

-21.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 20.91

$1.27 R 20.39

2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.30

$1.17 R 18.84

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.02

$1.85 R 29.79

-16.22%

Eggs

$2.53 R 40.76

$2.60 R 41.93

-2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 R 142

$8.35 R 134

5.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 86.0

$4.98 R 80.3

7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 R 115

$7.53 R 121

-4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 R 21.56

$1.91 R 30.80

-29.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.36

$1.67 R 26.87

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.65

$1.78 R 28.64

14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.59

$1.68 R 27.02

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.63

$1.16 R 18.72

37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 22.97

$1.19 R 19.08

20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 R 19.29

$1.26 R 20.25

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 19.68

$1.33 R 21.35

-8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 R 58.9

$3.31 R 53.2

10.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 R 80.1

$5.18 R 83.5

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R 23.62

$1.59 R 25.56

-7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 31.58

$2.05 R 32.95

-4.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R 23.17

$4.75 R 76.4

-69.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,012

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.32

$0.29 R 4.75

55.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R 11.52

$0.83 R 13.44

-13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 R 123

$14.81 R 239

-48.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.23

$1.55 R 25.00

-3.23%

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

$37.2K R 598.9K

$36.4K R 586.3K

2.15%

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

$32.6K R 525.8K

$35.2K R 567.0K

-7.27%

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

$146 R 2,349

$160 R 2,580

-8.97%

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

$34.32 R 553

$38.55 R 621

-10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.78 R 657

$37.82 R 609

7.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.93 R 563

$33.38 R 538

4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 R 112

$7.33 R 118

-4.91%

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

$333 R 5,366

$270 R 4,342

23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,872 R 126.8K

$7,992 R 128.7K

-1.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 R 887

$55.3 R 891

-0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 491

$32.75 R 527

-6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R 1,591

$96.7 R 1,557

2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R 1,464

$85.8 R 1,382

5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 R 7,266

$467 R 7,513

-3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 R 5,964

$424 R 6,831

-12.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 R 12.0K

$1,019 R 16.4K

-26.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 R 12.7K

$785 R 12.6K

0.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$792 R 12.8K

$903 R 14.5K

-12.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$772 R 12.4K

$713 R 11.5K

8.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,454 R 23.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

11.34

4.14%

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

Last update for Hillcrest: September 7, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Hillcrest versus $467 in Pretoria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Hillcrest versus $39.00 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $199 – making Hillcrest 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

Hillcrest vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,124 in Hillcrest, $1,379 in Pretoria – roughly 23% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,686 per month in Hillcrest and $2,068 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Hillcrest and $39.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,124, than in Pretoria at $1,379. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hillcrest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,124 in Hillcrest to $1,379 in Pretoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.