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 $1,167 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,151 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,849 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,764 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,532 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,377 in Pretoria, rent included.

Port Elizabeth costs about 1% more than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Port Elizabeth and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 13% lower, Pretoria 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R 146

$8.18 R 134

8.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.06 R 724

$33.02 R 543

33.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 R 88.2

$4.90 R 80.5

9.39%

Cappuccino

$2.14 R 35.22

$2.12 R 34.93

0.94%

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

$1.14 R 18.70

$1.02 R 16.85

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.38

$0.87 R 14.33

14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 42.11

$2.27 R 37.31

12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 R 49.69

$2.79 R 45.80

8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.40

$1.19 R 19.50

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 R 15.67

$1.02 R 16.78

-6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.63

$1.56 R 25.67

-3.85%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.30

$2.45 R 40.28

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R 128

$7.65 R 126

1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 R 78.0

$4.71 R 77.4

0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.03 R 132

$6.40 R 105

25.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.89

$1.63 R 26.76

0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.40

$1.53 R 25.10

-7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.82

$1.61 R 26.47

1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.72

$1.65 R 27.12

-1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.55

$1.32 R 21.69

17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.45

$1.20 R 19.74

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.29

$1.13 R 18.64

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.57

$1.15 R 18.91

-12.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R 48.41

$2.85 R 46.84

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.86 R 79.8

$5.32 R 87.5

-8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.09

$1.59 R 26.06

-30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.20

$1.86 R 30.59

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 R 18.61

$3.11 R 51.2

-63.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 R 563

$65.1 R 1,070

-47.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 R 43.87

$1.38 R 22.73

93.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 R 7.42

$1.36 R 22.37

-66.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 R 131

$3.03 R 49.80

162.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.83

$1.30 R 21.40

-2.31%

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

$23.9K R 393.4K

$19.1K R 314.0K

25.28%

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

$25.8K R 423.5K

$25.9K R 424.9K

-0.33%

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

$114 R 1,879

$126 R 2,077

-9.57%

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

$31.86 R 524

$36.89 R 606

-13.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.72 R 735

$38.13 R 627

17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.14 R 479

$32.17 R 529

-9.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.28 R 350

$10.56 R 174

101.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.73 R 160

$7.73 R 127

25.87%

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

$168 R 2,763

$200 R 3,295

-16.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,835 R 79.5K

$4,263 R 70.1K

13.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 R 1,105

$50.4 R 828

33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.20 R 612

$32.06 R 527

16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 R 1,588

$86.1 R 1,415

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 R 1,462

$89.4 R 1,469

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 R 9,602

$399 R 6,557

46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 R 7,192

$402 R 6,600

8.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 R 18.0K

$731 R 12.0K

49.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 R 14.3K

$775 R 12.7K

12.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$772 R 12.7K

$877 R 14.4K

-12.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 R 8,636

$715 R 11.7K

-26.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,623 R 26.7K

$1,482 R 24.4K

9.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

11.69

2.99%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: July 11, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $584 in Port Elizabeth 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 9% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $44.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $33.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Port Elizabeth vs $183 in Pretoria – so Port Elizabeth 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

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

Port Elizabeth costs about 1% more than Pretoria, 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 $1,750 per month in Port Elizabeth 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 Pretoria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Port Elizabeth – 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 $33.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pretoria, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,167. In Pretoria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pretoria – 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 Pretoria. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Elizabeth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.