Cost of Living Comparison Between Margate and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Margate and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Margate versus $1,379 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Margate versus $2,091 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,020 in Margate versus $2,804 in Pretoria.

Living in Margate costs roughly 35% less than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Margate is 35% below, Pretoria is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.84 R 125

$9.37 R 150

-16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.39 R 598

$38.72 R 620

-3.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 99.2

$5.68 R 90.9

9.15%

Cappuccino

$1.87 R 29.90

$2.28 R 36.52

-17.98%

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

$1.07 R 17.14

$1.08 R 17.28

-0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 13.65

$0.87 R 13.89

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 R 39.35

$2.67 R 42.72

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R 37.63

$3.34 R 53.5

-29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R 16.25

$1.27 R 20.26

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.29

$1.17 R 18.72

-17.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 R 18.49

$1.85 R 29.60

-37.30%

Eggs

$2.47 R 39.59

$2.60 R 41.66

-5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 R 83.4

$8.35 R 134

-37.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 R 55.3

$4.98 R 79.8

-30.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.01 R 96.1

$7.53 R 121

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 R 19.89

$1.91 R 30.61

-35.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.49

$1.67 R 26.69

-26.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 R 17.56

$1.78 R 28.45

-38.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.04

$1.68 R 26.85

-10.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 R 16.98

$1.16 R 18.60

-8.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 21.91

$1.19 R 18.96

15.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R 18.92

$1.26 R 20.12

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.23

$1.33 R 21.22

-24.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 R 27.78

$3.31 R 52.9

-47.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.73 R 59.6

$5.18 R 82.9

-27.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R 23.21

$1.59 R 25.40

-8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 30.29

$2.05 R 32.74

-7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 R 24.49

$4.75 R 76.0

-67.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 2,993

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 R 7.81

$0.29 R 4.72

68.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R 11.44

$0.83 R 13.36

-13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 R 125

$14.81 R 237

-47.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.25

$1.55 R 24.84

-10.32%

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

$36.5K R 584.1K

$36.4K R 582.6K

0.25%

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

$33.0K R 528.1K

$35.2K R 563.4K

-6.26%

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

$61.5 R 984

$160 R 2,564

-61.61%

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

$18.61 R 298

$38.55 R 617

-51.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 R 557

$37.82 R 605

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.77 R 524

$33.38 R 534

-1.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 175

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 R 69.0

$7.33 R 117

-41.06%

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

$332 R 5,319

$270 R 4,314

23.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,836 R 125.4K

$7,992 R 127.9K

-1.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 R 901

$55.3 R 886

1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.52 R 296

$32.75 R 524

-43.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 R 1,216

$96.7 R 1,547

-21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 R 811

$85.8 R 1,373

-40.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 R 6,913

$467 R 7,465

-7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 R 6,119

$424 R 6,787

-9.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 R 13.1K

$1,019 R 16.3K

-19.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 R 12.5K

$785 R 12.6K

-0.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$877 R 14.0K

$903 R 14.4K

-2.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 R 10.9K

$713 R 11.4K

-4.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,538 R 24.6K

$1,454 R 23.3K

5.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

11.34

4.14%

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

Last update for Margate: September 8, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Margate and $467 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Margate pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Margate vs $39.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $199 per month, with Margate cheaper across the board.

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

Margate vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margate wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Pretoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margate the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Margate, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $432 in Margate versus $467 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $332 in Margate versus $270 in Pretoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Margate – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $39.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $900 in Margate versus $1,379 in Pretoria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Margate but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Margate the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Margate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.