Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $841 per month in Polokwane vs $1,151 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,285 per month in Polokwane vs $1,764 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,728 per month in Polokwane vs $2,377 in Pretoria, rent included.

Polokwane is about 27% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Polokwane and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Polokwane 37% lower, Pretoria 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.89 R 163

$8.18 R 135

20.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.17 R 696

$33.02 R 545

27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 R 80.8

Cappuccino

$2.15 R 35.41

$2.12 R 35.07

1.42%

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

$0.80 R 13.21

$1.02 R 16.91

-21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.40

$0.87 R 14.39

-13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 R 28.42

$2.27 R 37.46

-24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R 32.82

$2.79 R 45.98

-28.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.19 R 19.58

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 R 15.60

$1.02 R 16.85

-6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.26

$1.56 R 25.78

9.62%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.49

$2.45 R 40.45

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 R 118

$7.65 R 126

-6.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 R 56.3

$4.71 R 77.7

-27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.63 R 92.9

$6.40 R 106

-12.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.47

$1.63 R 26.87

-1.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.21

$1.53 R 25.20

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.10

$1.61 R 26.58

-5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.53

$1.65 R 27.23

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.95

$1.32 R 21.78

14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.38

$1.20 R 19.82

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 17.17

$1.13 R 18.72

-7.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.79

$1.15 R 18.98

-32.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 R 44.12

$2.85 R 47.03

-6.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.77 R 78.7

$5.32 R 87.9

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 R 17.78

$1.59 R 26.17

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 R 21.16

$1.86 R 30.72

-31.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 R 52.4

$3.11 R 51.4

1.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 R 1,074

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.64

$1.38 R 22.83

-39.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.67

$1.36 R 22.46

-30.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 R 66.1

$3.03 R 50.0

32.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.73

$1.30 R 21.49

-7.69%

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

$13.8K R 227.0K

$19.1K R 315.3K

-28.00%

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

$22.0K R 362.8K

$25.9K R 426.6K

-14.95%

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

$120 R 1,981

$126 R 2,086

-5.02%

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

$40.02 R 660

$36.89 R 609

8.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.66 R 605

$38.13 R 629

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.03 R 364

$32.17 R 531

-31.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 174

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 R 121

$7.73 R 128

-5.05%

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

$171 R 2,824

$200 R 3,309

-14.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,368 R 22.6K

$4,263 R 70.4K

-67.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 R 545

$50.4 R 832

-34.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 R 560

$32.06 R 529

5.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R 1,216

$86.1 R 1,421

-14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 R 1,283

$89.4 R 1,475

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 R 4,144

$399 R 6,583

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 R 2,939

$402 R 6,626

-55.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R 6,162

$731 R 12.1K

-48.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 R 4,540

$775 R 12.8K

-64.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$877 R 14.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 R 11.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 24.8K

$1,482 R 24.5K

1.35%

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 Polokwane: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Polokwane 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 1% higher in Polokwane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Polokwane versus $33.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $163 in Polokwane vs $183 in Pretoria – so Polokwane 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

Polokwane vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 37% more than Polokwane, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,262 per month in Polokwane 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 Polokwane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Polokwane and $33.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polokwane, where all-in costs run around $841, than in Pretoria at $1,151. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – 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 Polokwane. 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.