Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,072 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,370 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,600 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,090 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,129 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,811 in Pretoria, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg is about 22% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pietermaritzburg sits 22% below the global median, while Pretoria is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.92 R 126

$9.58 R 153

-17.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 R 598

$39.57 R 631

-5.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.78 R 92.2

$5.52 R 88.0

4.71%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 38.96

$2.28 R 36.36

7.02%

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

$1.21 R 19.29

$1.08 R 17.19

12.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.33

$0.90 R 14.42

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R 37.23

$2.65 R 42.28

-12.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 R 41.71

$3.35 R 53.4

-22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.00

$1.19 R 19.01

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 R 15.18

$1.11 R 17.78

-14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.52

$1.89 R 30.13

-5.29%

Eggs

$3.33 R 53.1

$2.53 R 40.42

31.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 R 115

$8.56 R 137

-15.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 R 83.5

$4.99 R 79.6

5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.93 R 111

$7.51 R 120

-7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 R 33.52

$1.92 R 30.69

9.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 R 32.25

$1.66 R 26.44

21.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 R 38.32

$1.80 R 28.64

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R 32.74

$1.68 R 26.81

22.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.53

$1.19 R 19.01

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 28.91

$1.22 R 19.49

48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 R 25.34

$1.25 R 19.90

27.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 17.67

$1.38 R 22.00

-19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 52.1

$3.33 R 53.1

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.06 R 64.8

$5.13 R 81.8

-20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 22.69

$1.55 R 24.67

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 R 29.42

$2.05 R 32.75

-10.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 R 47.32

$4.73 R 75.4

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.96 R 318

$180 R 2,871

-88.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 R 27.20

$0.32 R 5.14

434.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.00

$0.80 R 12.70

33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 R 242

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.55

$1.53 R 24.47

-7.84%

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

$27.8K R 442.7K

$36.0K R 574.0K

-22.88%

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

$27.6K R 440.1K

$35.4K R 565.1K

-22.12%

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

$210 R 3,351

$154 R 2,455

36.53%

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

$32.58 R 520

$37.44 R 597

-12.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.29 R 611

$37.80 R 603

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 R 710

$33.04 R 527

34.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.10 R 49.40

$10.86 R 173

-71.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 R 77.8

$7.25 R 116

-32.69%

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

$186 R 2,970

$267 R 4,254

-30.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,342 R 85.2K

$8,119 R 129.5K

-34.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 R 930

$54.8 R 874

6.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 R 562

$32.45 R 518

8.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 R 1,915

$94.4 R 1,506

27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 R 1,122

$85.2 R 1,358

-17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 R 3,636

$476 R 7,595

-52.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 R 3,616

$410 R 6,546

-44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 R 9,841

$980 R 15.6K

-37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 6,763

$774 R 12.3K

-45.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,128 R 97.7K

$905 R 14.4K

577.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$152 R 2,428

$719 R 11.5K

-78.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,090 R 17.4K

$1,417 R 22.6K

-23.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

11.34

2.91%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: August 29, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $228 in Pietermaritzburg versus $476 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 30% higher in Pretoria, 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 $38.00 in Pietermaritzburg versus $40.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Pietermaritzburg vs $199 in Pretoria – so Pretoria 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

Pietermaritzburg vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg, $1,370 in Pretoria – roughly 28% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,608 per month in Pietermaritzburg and $2,054 in Pretoria. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $186 per month in Pietermaritzburg and $267 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Pretoria – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pietermaritzburg, where all-in costs run around $1,072, than in Pretoria at $1,370. In Pietermaritzburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.