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: $872 in Howick versus $1,174 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,336 in Howick versus $1,795 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,801 in Howick versus $2,417 in Pretoria.

Living in Howick costs roughly 26% less than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Howick 35% lower, Pretoria 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 R 56.7

$8.17 R 137

-58.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.23 R 473

$34.21 R 574

-17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.45 R 57.8

$4.71 R 79.0

-26.75%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R 32.46

$2.01 R 33.68

-3.48%

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

$0.58 R 9.66

$1.05 R 17.67

-44.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 R 7.90

$0.82 R 13.77

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 R 32.60

$2.21 R 37.11

-12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.90

$2.82 R 47.23

-21.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 R 17.51

$1.19 R 19.99

-12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 R 13.50

$1.02 R 17.13

-21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 R 18.51

$1.65 R 27.61

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.17 R 36.47

$2.37 R 39.71

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 R 82.0

$7.76 R 130

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 R 38.31

$4.58 R 76.8

-50.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.08 R 85.1

$6.35 R 107

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.17

$1.69 R 28.34

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.34

$1.60 R 26.81

-31.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R 22.02

$1.59 R 26.74

-17.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R 19.16

$1.64 R 27.50

-30.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R 14.42

$1.30 R 21.87

-33.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.76

$1.16 R 19.43

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 R 15.29

$1.09 R 18.26

-16.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.42

$1.11 R 18.65

-17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 R 52.7

$2.86 R 48.00

9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 R 79.5

$5.04 R 84.5

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 18.34

$1.50 R 25.14

-27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 19.18

$1.79 R 30.04

-36.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 27.10

$3.12 R 52.3

-48.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 R 1,064

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 R 27.85

$1.41 R 23.73

17.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R 10.50

$1.31 R 22.01

-51.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 R 110

$3.02 R 50.6

117.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.97

$1.31 R 21.95

-9.16%

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

$14.2K R 238.7K

$19.5K R 327.8K

-27.19%

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

$22.1K R 370.5K

$26.2K R 440.2K

-15.82%

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

$146 R 2,445

$126 R 2,120

15.31%

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

$13.83 R 232

$38.00 R 637

-63.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.87 R 568

$38.28 R 642

-11.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R 516

$32.47 R 545

-5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 R 177

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 R 92.2

$7.52 R 126

-26.86%

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

$102 R 1,705

$196 R 3,288

-48.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,644 R 77.9K

$4,288 R 71.9K

8.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.81 R 701

$51.1 R 857

-18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.89 R 233

$32.25 R 541

-56.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 R 1,401

$87.7 R 1,471

-4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.31 R 760

$87.2 R 1,462

-48.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 6,150

$396 R 6,640

-7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 R 5,520

$393 R 6,599

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 R 11.4K

$723 R 12.1K

-5.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 R 11.7K

$770 R 12.9K

-9.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$758 R 12.7K

$898 R 15.1K

-15.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$623 R 10.4K

$700 R 11.7K

-11.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,194 R 20.0K

$1,408 R 23.6K

-15.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

11.69

2.74%

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

Last update for Howick: April 25, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $367 in Howick and $396 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pretoria pays 18% 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: $28.00 in Howick vs $34.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $181 per month, with Howick 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

Howick vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pretoria earns 18% less. 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: $367 in Howick versus $396 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in Howick versus $196 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 $28.00 versus $34.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $872 in Howick versus $1,174 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 35% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.