Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,592 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,476 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,133 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 9% more than Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 14% lower, Pietermaritzburg 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 R 184

$7.92 R 131

40.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 R 746

$43.07 R 711

4.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 R 80.7

$5.57 R 92.0

-12.21%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.74

$2.14 R 35.27

1.40%

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

$0.99 R 16.29

$0.93 R 15.28

6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.70

$0.70 R 11.56

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 R 44.16

$1.64 R 26.98

63.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.80

$2.42 R 39.96

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.12

$1.04 R 17.20

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 18.00

$0.82 R 13.51

32.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.24

$1.52 R 25.05

8.55%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.46

$2.28 R 37.58

7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 139

$7.26 R 120

16.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 R 78.7

$4.66 R 76.9

2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$7.06 R 117

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.52

$1.60 R 26.33

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.00

$1.69 R 27.85

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.93 R 31.82

-22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.53

$1.73 R 28.58

-6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.66

$1.53 R 25.20

-2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 22.98

$1.75 R 28.88

-20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.96

$1.23 R 20.38

-11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.52

$0.91 R 14.95

3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R 52.1

$2.89 R 47.71

9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R 99.7

$4.02 R 66.3

50.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.40 R 23.08

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.66

$1.78 R 29.38

-5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.34

$2.64 R 43.62

-34.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,176

$18.28 R 302

289.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 18.23

$1.71 R 28.16

-35.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.90

$0.52 R 8.61

84.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.4

$4.13 R 68.1

-0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.15

$1.21 R 20.04

5.79%

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

$22.2K R 366.1K

$23.7K R 391.0K

-6.38%

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

$23.5K R 388.6K

$22.8K R 376.9K

3.10%

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

$118 R 1,940

$232 R 3,822

-49.23%

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

$40.44 R 667

$30.00 R 495

34.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 R 695

$58.2 R 960

-27.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.88 R 559

$38.55 R 636

-12.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 R 224

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R 117

$5.11 R 84.3

38.36%

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

$204 R 3,366

$151 R 2,489

35.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,903 R 80.9K

$4,784 R 78.9K

2.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R 839

$62.6 R 1,033

-18.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.65 R 555

$38.00 R 627

-11.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R 1,524

$180 R 2,967

-48.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 R 1,308

$74.3 R 1,226

6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R 6,830

$205 R 3,383

101.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,028

$188 R 3,105

94.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 R 15.0K

$511 R 8,438

77.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.4K

$383 R 6,319

81.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,043 R 17.2K

$3,624 R 59.8K

-71.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 R 12.6K

$447 R 7,383

70.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.6K

$1,071 R 17.7K

61.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.5

0.09%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Johannesburg versus $205 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, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $177 – making Pietermaritzburg 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

Johannesburg vs Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 9% more than Pietermaritzburg, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,724 per month in Johannesburg and $1,578 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Johannesburg and $43.00 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 $1,149 in Johannesburg and $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pietermaritzburg, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Johannesburg at $1,149. In Pietermaritzburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pietermaritzburg costs $1,052 versus $1,149 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.