Cost of Living Comparison Between Howick and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Howick and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Howick versus $1,379 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Howick versus $2,091 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,312 in Howick versus $2,804 in Pretoria.

Living in Howick costs roughly 20% less than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Howick is 21% below, Pretoria is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 R 123

$9.37 R 151

-18.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.44 R 635

$38.72 R 624

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 R 91.4

$5.68 R 91.5

Cappuccino

$2.85 R 45.84

$2.28 R 36.75

25.00%

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

$1.13 R 18.22

$1.08 R 17.39

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.25

$0.87 R 13.98

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 R 41.41

$2.67 R 43.00

-3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 R 41.92

$3.34 R 53.9

-22.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.19

$1.27 R 20.39

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.23

$1.17 R 18.84

-8.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.18

$1.85 R 29.79

-15.68%

Eggs

$2.46 R 39.64

$2.60 R 41.93

-5.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 R 138

$8.35 R 134

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 R 86.2

$4.98 R 80.3

7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 117

$7.53 R 121

-3.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 R 32.26

$1.91 R 30.80

4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 R 31.98

$1.67 R 26.87

19.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.01

$1.78 R 28.64

15.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.64

$1.68 R 27.02

2.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.70

$1.16 R 18.72

37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.44

$1.19 R 19.08

22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.28

$1.26 R 20.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R 19.96

$1.33 R 21.35

-6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 R 61.6

$3.31 R 53.2

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 80.7

$5.18 R 83.5

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.52

$1.59 R 25.56

-4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R 31.96

$2.05 R 32.95

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 R 26.60

$4.75 R 76.4

-65.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,012

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 R 7.93

$0.29 R 4.75

68.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.34

$0.83 R 13.44

-7.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 R 128

$14.81 R 239

-46.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.37

$1.55 R 25.00

-10.32%

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

$36.6K R 588.8K

$36.4K R 586.3K

0.43%

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

$32.8K R 528.1K

$35.2K R 567.0K

-6.86%

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

$143 R 2,307

$160 R 2,580

-10.58%

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

$15.71 R 253

$38.55 R 621

-59.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 R 648

$37.82 R 609

6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 R 489

$33.38 R 538

-9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R 114

$7.33 R 118

-3.14%

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

$325 R 5,236

$270 R 4,342

20.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,921 R 127.6K

$7,992 R 128.7K

-0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 R 907

$55.3 R 891

1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.93 R 498

$32.75 R 527

-5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,621

$96.7 R 1,557

4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 R 1,441

$85.8 R 1,382

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 R 6,234

$467 R 7,513

-17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R 6,289

$424 R 6,831

-7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 R 13.4K

$1,019 R 16.4K

-18.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.1K

$785 R 12.6K

-4.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 R 16.4K

$903 R 14.5K

12.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$667 R 10.7K

$713 R 11.5K

-6.43%

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 Howick: September 7, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Howick and $467 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Howick vs $39.00 in Pretoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $199, with Pretoria cheaper for home cooking.

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

Howick vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,644 in Howick and $2,068 in Pretoria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Howick versus $467 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Howick versus $270 in Pretoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $39.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,379 in Pretoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Howick 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, Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.