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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,151 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,764 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,476 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,377 in Pretoria, rent included.

Johannesburg and Pretoria have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 R 185

$8.18 R 135

36.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 R 748

$33.02 R 547

36.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 R 80.9

$4.90 R 81.1

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.85

$2.12 R 35.18

2.36%

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

$0.99 R 16.34

$1.02 R 16.97

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.74

$0.87 R 14.43

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 R 44.29

$2.27 R 37.58

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.93

$2.79 R 46.13

-7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.18

$1.19 R 19.64

-2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 18.05

$1.02 R 16.90

6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.32

$1.56 R 25.86

5.77%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.59

$2.45 R 40.57

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$7.65 R 127

10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 R 78.9

$4.71 R 77.9

1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 109

$6.40 R 106

2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.61

$1.63 R 26.95

2.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.08

$1.53 R 25.28

-1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$1.61 R 26.66

-7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.61

$1.65 R 27.31

-2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.74

$1.32 R 21.84

12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 23.05

$1.20 R 19.88

15.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.02

$1.13 R 18.78

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.57

$1.15 R 19.04

-18.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R 52.3

$2.85 R 47.17

10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R 100

$5.32 R 88.2

13.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.47

$1.59 R 26.25

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.74

$1.86 R 30.81

-9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.43

$3.11 R 51.6

-44.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,180

$65.1 R 1,078

9.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 18.28

$1.38 R 22.89

-20.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.95

$1.36 R 22.53

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.6

$3.03 R 50.2

34.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.21

$1.30 R 21.55

-1.54%

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

$22.2K R 367.2K

$19.1K R 316.2K

16.12%

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

$23.5K R 389.8K

$25.9K R 427.9K

-8.92%

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

$118 R 1,946

$126 R 2,092

-6.96%

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

$40.44 R 670

$36.89 R 611

9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 R 697

$38.13 R 631

10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.88 R 561

$32.17 R 533

5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 R 225

$10.56 R 175

28.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R 117

$7.73 R 128

-8.54%

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

$204 R 3,377

$200 R 3,319

1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,903 R 81.2K

$4,263 R 70.6K

15.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R 842

$50.4 R 834

0.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.65 R 557

$32.06 R 531

4.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R 1,529

$86.1 R 1,425

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 R 1,312

$89.4 R 1,479

-11.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R 6,851

$399 R 6,604

3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,047

$402 R 6,647

-9.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 R 15.0K

$731 R 12.1K

23.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.5K

$775 R 12.8K

-10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,043 R 17.3K

$877 R 14.5K

18.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 R 12.6K

$715 R 11.8K

6.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.7K

$1,482 R 24.5K

16.96%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 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 17% higher in Johannesburg. 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. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $183 – 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,724 per month in Johannesburg and $1,726 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Johannesburg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Pretoria – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Johannesburg and $200 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,149, than in Pretoria at $1,151. In Johannesburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Johannesburg costs $1,149 versus $1,151 in Pretoria. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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