Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,435 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,370 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,252 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,090 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,069 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,811 in Pretoria, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 5% more than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Johannesburg and Pretoria sit above the global median – Johannesburg by 4%, Pretoria by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.61 R 203

$9.58 R 154

31.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.05 R 740

$39.57 R 636

16.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 R 121

$5.52 R 88.6

36.05%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R 39.99

$2.28 R 36.62

9.21%

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

$1.26 R 20.32

$1.08 R 17.31

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.14

$0.90 R 14.52

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 R 33.26

$2.65 R 42.57

-21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.44

$3.35 R 53.8

-17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 21.89

$1.19 R 19.14

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.66

$1.11 R 17.91

16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.39

$1.89 R 30.34

-3.17%

Eggs

$2.68 R 43.05

$2.53 R 40.70

5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 R 150

$8.56 R 137

9.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 R 96.4

$4.99 R 80.2

20.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 R 147

$7.51 R 121

21.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 R 36.13

$1.92 R 30.91

17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.38

$1.66 R 26.63

17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.22

$1.80 R 28.84

1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 R 34.23

$1.68 R 26.99

26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.78

$1.19 R 19.15

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.08

$1.22 R 19.63

53.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 R 24.25

$1.25 R 20.04

20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 21.54

$1.38 R 22.15

-2.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 R 54.7

$3.33 R 53.5

2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 97.3

$5.13 R 82.4

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 29.89

$1.55 R 24.84

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.31

$2.05 R 32.98

19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 R 34.23

$4.73 R 75.9

-54.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 R 1,507

$180 R 2,891

-47.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 R 14.49

$0.32 R 5.17

181.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.16

$0.80 R 12.79

17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 R 244

$15.15 R 243

0.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 24.67

$1.53 R 24.64

0.65%

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

$36.4K R 584.2K

$36.0K R 578.0K

1.06%

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

$32.9K R 527.9K

$35.4K R 569.1K

-7.24%

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

$222 R 3,568

$154 R 2,472

44.33%

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

$38.73 R 622

$37.44 R 601

3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.69 R 637

$37.80 R 607

5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.29 R 615

$33.04 R 531

15.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 R 281

$10.86 R 175

60.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 R 128

$7.25 R 116

10.21%

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

$248 R 3,981

$267 R 4,284

-7.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 R 92.3K

$8,119 R 130.4K

-29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R 962

$54.8 R 880

9.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 R 771

$32.45 R 521

47.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,756

$94.4 R 1,517

15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,768

$85.2 R 1,368

29.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 R 8,770

$476 R 7,648

14.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 R 7,112

$410 R 6,592

7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 R 17.8K

$980 R 15.7K

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 R 15.1K

$774 R 12.4K

21.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 R 16.4K

$905 R 14.5K

12.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$773 R 12.4K

$719 R 11.6K

7.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,787 R 28.7K

$1,417 R 22.8K

26.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.34

-3.79%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $546 in Johannesburg versus $476 in Pretoria. 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 26% 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 $46.00 in Johannesburg versus $40.00 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $199 – making Pretoria 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 Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 5% more than Pretoria, 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 $2,152 per month in Johannesburg and $2,054 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pretoria, 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 $46.00 in Johannesburg and $40.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,435 in Johannesburg and $1,370 in Pretoria. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pretoria, where all-in costs run around $1,370, than in Johannesburg at $1,435. In Pretoria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pretoria costs $1,370 versus $1,435 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 Pretoria. 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.