Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Schio

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $959 a month against $1,668 in Schio, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Schio
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Schio Living Index

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Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$959

/mo nomad

Schio

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Polokwane and in Schio

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

A single person spends $959 per month in Polokwane vs $1,668 in Schio, rent included.

Polokwane $959
Schio $1,668

A couple spends around $1,417 per month in Polokwane vs $2,556 in Schio, rent included.

Polokwane $1,417
Schio $2,556

A family of three spends $1,875 per month in Polokwane vs $3,444 in Schio, rent included.

Polokwane $1,875
Schio $3,444

Polokwane is about 42% cheaper than Schio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Polokwane sits 29% below the global median, while Schio is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 R 202

$15.01 €13.35

-18.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 R 489

$56.8 €50.5

-47.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 R 123

$10.30 €9.16

-27.57%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R 39.26

$1.81 €1.61

31.49%

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

$0.77 R 12.68

$2.39 €2.13

-67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.47

$1.15 €1.02

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 R 27.65

$5.66 €5.03

-70.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 30.95

$5.06 €4.50

-62.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.71

$1.45 €1.29

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.82

$2.34 €2.08

-53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.03

$3.28 €2.92

-48.17%

Eggs

$2.65 R 43.69

$4.09 €3.64

-35.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 R 129

$17.01 €15.13

-53.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 R 75.6

$12.01 €10.68

-61.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 R 99.6

$18.85 €16.76

-67.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 R 33.19

$2.17 €1.93

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.53

$2.24 €1.99

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.80

$2.22 €1.97

-18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.30

$2.24 €1.99

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.49

$1.95 €1.73

-14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.73

$1.92 €1.70

-21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.48

$1.66 €1.47

-32.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.46

$0.61 €0.55

34.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 R 44.22

$6.58 €5.85

-59.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 R 80.2

$6.64 €5.90

-26.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.88

$1.32 €1.18

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.54

$1.74 €1.55

-7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R 15.22

$1.69 €1.51

-45.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.03 R 495

$44.57 €39.65

-32.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 R 14.41

$8.77 €7.80

-90.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.66

$1.72 €1.53

-44.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.36 R 237

$44.67 €39.74

-67.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.52

$1.97 €1.75

-27.41%

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

$26.1K R 430.1K

$36.2K €32.2K

-27.87%

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

$28.5K R 469.0K

$35.5K €31.6K

-19.80%

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

$138 R 2,281

$193 €172

-28.37%

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

$38.10 R 628

$8.75 €7.78

335.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.99 R 544

$33.80 €30.06

-2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.29 R 384

$61.7 €54.9

-62.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.44 €20.85

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 R 132

$10.45 €9.30

-23.44%

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

$179 R 2,946

$509 €452

-64.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,452 R 23.9K

$13.5K €12.0K

-89.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.30 R 746

$79.2 €70.4

-42.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 R 622

$33.25 €29.58

13.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 R 1,328

$90.2 €80.2

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 R 1,544

$154 €137

-39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,785

$718 €639

-59.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 R 3,338

$569 €506

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 R 6,922

$1,097 €976

-61.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 R 4,683

$1,004 €893

-71.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,491 €2,216

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,751 €1,558

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,343 R 22.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

3.34

226.65%

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

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Schio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polokwane

$210 21.8%

Schio

$236 14.1% 12.6% $26

Accommodation & Living

Polokwane

$203 21.1%

Schio

$569 34.1% 181% $366

Groceries & Markets

Polokwane

$185 19.3%

Schio

$326 19.6% 76.2% $141

Eating Out

Polokwane

$168 17.5%

Schio

$225 13.5% 34.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Polokwane

$116 12.1%

Schio

$161 9.6% 38.7% $45

Getting Around

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Schio

$69 4.1% 74.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Schio

$83 5% 110% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Polokwane versus $718 in Schio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Polokwane versus $57.0 in Schio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $326 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🇮🇹 Schio

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

Same time as Polokwane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

628,999

39,355

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Polokwane Schio 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Polokwane
Schio

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

Polokwane vs Schio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schio costs about 74% more than Polokwane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,439 per month in Polokwane and $2,502 in Schio. 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.

Kindergarten costs $179 per month in Polokwane and $509 in Schio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Schio, 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 $959, than in Schio at $1,668. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Schio 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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