Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pietermaritzburg and in Johannesburg

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,410 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,033
Johannesburg $1,410

A couple spends around $1,555 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,182 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,555
Johannesburg $2,182

A family of three spends $2,077 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,954 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $2,077
Johannesburg $2,954

Pietermaritzburg is about 27% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Pietermaritzburg sits 24% below the global median, while Johannesburg is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.74 R 129

$11.92 R 198

-35.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.63 R 593

$44.33 R 738

-19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.4

$7.42 R 124

-21.83%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.21

$2.39 R 39.74

-1.26%

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

$1.16 R 19.37

$1.21 R 20.19

-4.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.12

$0.96 R 15.91

7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 R 35.72

$2.42 R 40.31

-11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 41.69

$2.67 R 44.35

-5.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 R 22.13

$1.29 R 21.52

3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 R 15.30

$1.19 R 19.87

-22.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.26

$1.70 R 28.36

Eggs

$3.16 R 52.6

$2.75 R 45.76

14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 R 120

$8.68 R 144

-16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 R 82.1

$5.56 R 92.6

-11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 R 106

$8.92 R 148

-28.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R 33.94

$2.08 R 34.58

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.23

$1.81 R 30.14

7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 R 38.68

$1.73 R 28.82

34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R 33.85

$2.10 R 34.95

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.63

$1.70 R 28.35

4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.04

$1.79 R 29.70

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.74

$1.49 R 24.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.26

$1.23 R 20.53

-15.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 R 52.2

$3.48 R 58.0

-9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.92 R 65.3

$6.10 R 102

-35.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 23.66

$1.86 R 31.00

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 29.16

$2.40 R 39.91

-27.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 R 47.62

$1.78 R 29.69

60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.71 R 328

$89.0 R 1,481

-77.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 R 26.48

$0.81 R 13.52

96.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 R 17.66

$0.87 R 14.45

21.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 R 238

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.92

$1.53 R 25.43

-5.88%

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

$26.5K R 441.6K

$35.5K R 590.1K

-25.15%

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

$26.8K R 445.6K

$34.0K R 565.9K

-21.26%

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

$205 R 3,410

$224 R 3,721

-8.35%

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

$32.46 R 540

$39.12 R 651

-17.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.19 R 619

$36.93 R 614

0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 R 729

$35.49 R 590

23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.05 R 50.8

$17.43 R 290

-82.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 R 80.5

$8.29 R 138

-41.62%

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

$177 R 2,945

$240 R 3,990

-26.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,103 R 84.9K

$5,471 R 91.0K

-6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 R 943

$58.0 R 965

-2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 R 572

$44.96 R 748

-23.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,894

$111 R 1,852

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 R 1,163

$113 R 1,872

-37.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 R 3,601

$526 R 8,756

-58.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R 3,607

$419 R 6,979

-48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 R 9,583

$1,099 R 18.3K

-47.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 R 6,742

$885 R 14.7K

-54.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,914 R 98.4K

$1,035 R 17.2K

471.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$148 R 2,466

$734 R 12.2K

-79.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 R 17.6K

$1,709 R 28.4K

-38.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

10.91

6.97%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6%

Johannesburg

$300 21.3% 9.1% $25

Accommodation & Living

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21%

Johannesburg

$419 29.8% 93.5% $203

Groceries & Markets

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8%

Johannesburg

$218 15.5% 12% $23

Eating Out

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8%

Johannesburg

$172 12.2% 30.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12%

Johannesburg

$147 10.4% 18.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2%

Johannesburg

$52 3.7% 2.6% $1.4

Getting Around

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7%

Johannesburg

$101 7.2% 166% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $216 in Pietermaritzburg versus $526 in Johannesburg. 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 62% higher in Johannesburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Pietermaritzburg versus $44 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $218 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

Same time as Pietermaritzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

618,536

4,434,827

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Pietermaritzburg vs Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 36% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Pietermaritzburg and $2,115 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $526 in Johannesburg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Pietermaritzburg and $44 in Johannesburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,410 in Johannesburg. That’s a gap of about 36%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,410 in Johannesburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pietermaritzburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Pietermaritzburg. 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.