Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,370 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,090 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,563 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,811 in Pretoria, rent included.

Port Elizabeth is about 10% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Port Elizabeth sits 10% below the global median, while Pretoria is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 R 183

$9.58 R 154

18.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 R 709

$39.57 R 636

11.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 R 98.3

$5.52 R 88.6

10.87%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 34.16

$2.28 R 36.62

-6.58%

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

$1.10 R 17.69

$1.08 R 17.31

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 12.91

$0.90 R 14.52

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R 45.69

$2.65 R 42.57

7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 R 51.9

$3.35 R 53.8

-3.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.56

$1.19 R 19.14

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.47

$1.11 R 17.91

-1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.00

$1.89 R 30.34

-21.16%

Eggs

$2.81 R 45.09

$2.53 R 40.70

11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 R 146

$8.56 R 137

6.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 89.4

$4.99 R 80.2

11.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 R 138

$7.51 R 121

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.44

$1.92 R 30.91

11.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.62

$1.66 R 26.63

-4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.95

$1.80 R 28.84

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.44

$1.68 R 26.99

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.50

$1.19 R 19.15

48.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 22.80

$1.22 R 19.63

16.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.32

$1.25 R 20.04

6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.77

$1.38 R 22.15

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 54.1

$3.33 R 53.5

1.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 R 77.5

$5.13 R 82.4

-5.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.03

$1.55 R 24.84

-15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.05

$2.05 R 32.98

-11.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 R 18.99

$4.73 R 75.9

-75.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.87 R 592

$180 R 2,891

-79.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 R 34.93

$0.32 R 5.17

578.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 R 7.81

$0.80 R 12.79

-38.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.56 R 138

$15.15 R 243

-43.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.68

$1.53 R 24.64

-7.84%

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

$36.5K R 586.0K

$36.0K R 578.0K

1.38%

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

$34.5K R 553.8K

$35.4K R 569.1K

-2.69%

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

$125 R 2,013

$154 R 2,472

-18.58%

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

$35.65 R 573

$37.44 R 601

-4.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.87 R 753

$37.80 R 607

23.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 R 517

$33.04 R 531

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 R 386

$10.86 R 175

121.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 R 175

$7.25 R 116

50.62%

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

$185 R 2,974

$267 R 4,284

-30.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,340 R 101.8K

$8,119 R 130.4K

-21.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 R 1,158

$54.8 R 880

31.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 R 614

$32.45 R 521

17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,841

$94.4 R 1,517

21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 R 1,604

$85.2 R 1,368

17.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.2K

$476 R 7,648

32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R 6,896

$410 R 6,592

4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R 13.6K

$980 R 15.7K

-13.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 R 11.3K

$774 R 12.4K

-9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$799 R 12.8K

$905 R 14.5K

-11.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$545 R 8,755

$719 R 11.6K

-24.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,641 R 26.4K

$1,417 R 22.8K

15.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.34

5.29%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $633 in Port Elizabeth 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 16% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $44.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $40.00 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $199 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Port Elizabeth vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 11% more than Port Elizabeth, 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 $1,854 per month in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Port Elizabeth and $40.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Elizabeth, where all-in costs run around $1,236, than in Pretoria at $1,370. In Port Elizabeth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Elizabeth – 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 Port Elizabeth. 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.