Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knysna and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Knysna: $1,193 a month against $1,278 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Pretoria despite lower rent and utilities.

57

Cost of Living Index in Knysna
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Knysna Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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Knysna

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,193

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Knysna and in Pretoria

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

A single person spends $1,193 per month in Knysna vs $1,278 in Pretoria, rent included.

Knysna $1,193
Pretoria $1,278

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Knysna vs $1,980 in Pretoria, rent included.

Knysna $1,775
Pretoria $1,980

A family of three spends $2,357 per month in Knysna vs $2,683 in Pretoria, rent included.

Knysna $2,357
Pretoria $2,683

Knysna is about 7% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Knysna and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Knysna 12% lower, Pretoria 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.44 R 157

$8.90 R 148

6.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.22 R 654

$36.92 R 615

6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.6

$5.30 R 88.2

9.43%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R 34.77

$2.29 R 38.20

-8.73%

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

$1.04 R 17.36

$1.06 R 17.68

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 12.31

$0.86 R 14.26

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R 39.28

$2.34 R 38.97

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R 45.37

$3.42 R 57.0

-20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.41

$1.13 R 18.89

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.63

$1.14 R 18.96

-12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.84

$1.83 R 30.51

-18.58%

Eggs

$2.70 R 45.04

$2.41 R 40.23

12.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 R 143

$8.44 R 141

1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 R 81.2

$5.00 R 83.4

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.10 R 135

$7.41 R 123

9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.22

$1.79 R 29.88

-8.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.28

$1.68 R 28.02

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.03

$1.78 R 29.64

-12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.30

$1.58 R 26.34

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.68

$1.08 R 17.97

53.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.91

$1.18 R 19.68

21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.27

$1.18 R 19.62

3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 17.06

$1.29 R 21.43

-20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 R 53.1

$3.27 R 54.5

-2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 R 78.7

$5.17 R 86.2

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.79

$1.55 R 25.86

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 R 24.28

$1.88 R 31.31

-22.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.81

$4.59 R 76.5

-61.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$181 R 3,021

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.80

$0.31 R 5.18

167.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.64

$0.79 R 13.18

-34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 R 138

$14.73 R 245

-43.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 24.53

$1.53 R 25.49

-3.92%

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

$23.4K R 389.8K

$35.7K R 595.4K

-34.54%

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

$28.2K R 470.6K

$35.1K R 584.9K

-19.55%

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

$110 R 1,838

$150 R 2,498

-26.41%

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

$32.86 R 548

$36.66 R 611

-10.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.51 R 725

$36.73 R 612

18.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 R 791

$31.99 R 533

48.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.83 R 181

$10.29 R 172

5.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 R 142

$7.07 R 118

20.93%

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

$176 R 2,938

$261 R 4,348

-32.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,855 R 97.6K

$15.0K R 249.6K

-60.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.94 R 699

$52.6 R 876

-20.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.00 R 550

$32.65 R 544

1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 R 1,789

$92.1 R 1,534

16.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 R 1,264

$83.1 R 1,384

-8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 R 8,409

$451 R 7,507

12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 R 8,105

$353 R 5,882

37.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.5K

$1,023 R 17.1K

-21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 R 13.2K

$727 R 12.1K

9.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$755 R 12.6K

$875 R 14.6K

-13.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,011 R 16.8K

$652 R 10.9K

54.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 R 15.7K

$1,397 R 23.3K

-32.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

11.34

4.32%

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

Last update for Knysna: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Knysna

$486 40.8%

Pretoria

$353 27.6% 27.4% $133

Groceries & Markets

Knysna

$187 15.7%

Pretoria

$194 15.2% 3.8% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knysna

$187 15.6%

Pretoria

$223 17.5% 19.6% $37

Eating Out

Knysna

$142 11.9%

Pretoria

$141 11% 1% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Knysna

$116 9.7%

Pretoria

$117 9.2% 0.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Knysna

$65 5.4%

Pretoria

$46 3.6% 28.5% $18

Getting Around

Knysna

$11 * 0.9%

Pretoria

$204 16% 1828% $193

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $505 in Knysna versus $451 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 49% higher in Pretoria. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Knysna versus $37 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Knysna vs $194 in Pretoria – so Knysna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Knysna

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

01:34 1:34 AM

Same time as Knysna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,078

741,651 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Knysna Pretoria 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Knysna
Pretoria

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Knysna vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,790 per month in Knysna and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $451 there versus $505 in Knysna.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,193 in Knysna and $1,278 in Pretoria. That makes Knysna about 7% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $176 per month in Knysna and $261 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,193 in Knysna and $1,278 in Pretoria, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Knysna has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,193 in Knysna to $1,278 in Pretoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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