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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,179 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,158 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,776 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,442 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,394 in Pretoria, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 2% more than Pretoria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Johannesburg and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 12% lower, Pretoria 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$8.23 R 134

33.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 R 732

$33.05 R 537

36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$4.71 R 76.6

4.25%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 36.89

$2.02 R 32.84

12.38%

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

$0.99 R 16.06

$1.01 R 16.48

-1.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.58

$0.83 R 13.57

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 42.79

$2.17 R 35.34

21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.12

$2.82 R 45.89

-10.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.26

$1.19 R 19.37

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.59

$1.57 R 25.49

8.28%

Eggs

$2.52 R 40.90

$2.38 R 38.71

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 136

$7.78 R 127

7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.0

$4.56 R 74.1

2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R 108

$6.39 R 104

4.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.25

$1.63 R 26.49

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.04

$1.62 R 26.28

-8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.62 R 26.28

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.78

$1.70 R 27.55

-6.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.19

$1.35 R 21.99

5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.74

$1.17 R 18.99

24.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.21

$1.12 R 18.24

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.26

$1.12 R 18.24

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.31

$2.82 R 45.77

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 R 99.3

$5.29 R 86.0

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.03

$1.55 R 25.25

-12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.13

$1.83 R 29.78

-8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 27.87

$3.22 R 52.3

-46.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 R 1,121

$63.9 R 1,038

7.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 17.88

$1.37 R 22.34

-19.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.37

$1.32 R 21.41

-28.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 66.1

$3.12 R 50.7

30.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.86

$1.32 R 21.39

-3.03%

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

$22.6K R 367.0K

$19.3K R 313.1K

17.22%

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

$24.4K R 395.9K

$25.7K R 417.9K

-5.26%

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

$119 R 1,929

$122 R 1,979

-2.55%

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

$39.96 R 649

$37.75 R 614

5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 704

$37.89 R 616

14.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 R 547

$32.18 R 523

4.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 R 227

$10.50 R 171

32.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R 120

$7.46 R 121

-0.80%

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

$206 R 3,354

$196 R 3,183

5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,959 R 80.6K

$4,381 R 71.2K

13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 833

$50.7 R 824

1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 R 553

$32.29 R 525

5.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,493

$87.3 R 1,419

5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,281

$89.8 R 1,459

-12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,817

$399 R 6,491

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,038

$393 R 6,385

-5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R 14.9K

$733 R 11.9K

25.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.7K

$766 R 12.4K

-6.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,063 R 17.3K

$889 R 14.4K

19.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R 12.4K

$707 R 11.5K

8.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 R 27.8K

$1,510 R 24.5K

13.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.69

-1.54%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: May 30, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Johannesburg versus $399 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 14% 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 $33.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Johannesburg vs $183 in Pretoria – so Johannesburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 2% more than Pretoria, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,768 per month in Johannesburg and $1,737 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg and $33.00 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 $1,179 in Johannesburg and $1,158 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 $1,158, than in Johannesburg at $1,179. 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 $1,158 versus $1,179 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.