Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Pietermaritzburg

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

A single person spends $1,410 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,410
Pietermaritzburg $1,033

A couple spends around $2,182 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,555 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,182
Pietermaritzburg $1,555

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,077 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,954
Pietermaritzburg $2,077

Johannesburg costs about 36% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 4% above the global median, while Pietermaritzburg is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 R 198

$7.74 R 129

54.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.33 R 738

$35.63 R 593

24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 R 124

$5.80 R 96.4

27.93%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R 39.74

$2.36 R 39.21

1.27%

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

$1.21 R 20.19

$1.16 R 19.37

4.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.91

$1.03 R 17.12

-6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.31

$2.15 R 35.72

12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R 44.35

$2.51 R 41.69

6.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.52

$1.33 R 22.13

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.87

$0.92 R 15.30

29.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.36

$1.70 R 28.26

Eggs

$2.75 R 45.76

$3.16 R 52.6

-12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 R 144

$7.22 R 120

20.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 92.6

$4.94 R 82.1

12.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 R 148

$6.36 R 106

40.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.58

$2.04 R 33.94

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.14

$1.94 R 32.23

-6.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.82

$2.32 R 38.68

-25.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 R 34.95

$2.03 R 33.85

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.35

$1.78 R 29.63

-4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.70

$1.81 R 30.04

-1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.79

$1.49 R 24.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.53

$1.04 R 17.26

18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 R 58.0

$3.14 R 52.2

10.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 102

$3.92 R 65.3

55.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 31.00

$1.42 R 23.66

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R 39.91

$1.75 R 29.16

37.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.69

$2.86 R 47.62

-37.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 R 1,481

$19.71 R 328

351.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.52

$1.59 R 26.48

-49.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.45

$1.06 R 17.66

-17.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 R 238

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.43

$1.44 R 23.92

6.25%

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

$35.5K R 590.1K

$26.5K R 441.6K

33.61%

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

$34.0K R 565.9K

$26.8K R 445.6K

27.00%

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

$224 R 3,721

$205 R 3,410

9.11%

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

$39.12 R 651

$32.46 R 540

20.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.93 R 614

$37.19 R 619

-0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 R 590

$43.80 R 729

-18.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 R 290

$3.05 R 50.8

471.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 R 138

$4.84 R 80.5

71.28%

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

$240 R 3,990

$177 R 2,945

35.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.0K

$5,103 R 84.9K

7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 R 965

$56.7 R 943

2.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.96 R 748

$34.35 R 572

30.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,852

$114 R 1,894

-2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 R 1,872

$69.9 R 1,163

61.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R 8,756

$216 R 3,601

143.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,979

$217 R 3,607

93.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$576 R 9,583

90.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 R 14.7K

$405 R 6,742

118.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,035 R 17.2K

$5,914 R 98.4K

-82.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

$148 R 2,466

395.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 R 28.4K

$1,058 R 17.6K

61.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.67

-6.51%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$419 29.8%

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21% 48.3% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$300 21.3%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6% 8.4% $25

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.5%

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8% 10.7% $23

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$172 12.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 23.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$147 10.4%

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12% 15.9% $23

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$101 7.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 62.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2% 2.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Johannesburg versus $216 in Pietermaritzburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Johannesburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg versus $36 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $194 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

618,536

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Johannesburg vs Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 36% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,115 per month in Johannesburg and $1,550 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Johannesburg and $36 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a gap of about 36%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,410 in Johannesburg and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pietermaritzburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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