Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Pretoria versus $1,102 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,061 in Pretoria versus $1,355 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Pretoria versus $1,609 in Benoni.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 25% more expensive than in Benoni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pretoria is 1% above, Benoni is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 152

$10.26 R 168

-9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 623

$38.74 R 634

-1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 93.5

$5.94 R 97.4

-3.87%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.56

$2.33 R 38.19

0.86%

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

$1.06 R 17.35

$1.20 R 19.58

-11.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.45

$0.90 R 14.79

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.45

$2.29 R 37.55

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.1

$2.76 R 45.14

15.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.18

$1.19 R 19.52

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.92

$1.15 R 18.86

0.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.24

$1.73 R 28.25

6.94%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.66

$2.50 R 41.02

1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 139

$8.10 R 133

4.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 83.0

$4.92 R 80.5

3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 119

$7.21 R 118

0.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.64

$1.81 R 29.59

3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.69

$1.72 R 28.11

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.04

$1.84 R 30.13

-0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.05

$1.66 R 27.13

-0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.41

$1.20 R 19.63

-0.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.20

$1.17 R 19.09

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.28

$1.26 R 20.58

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.28

$1.31 R 21.45

3.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.5

$3.32 R 54.3

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.3

$5.26 R 86.2

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.22

$1.61 R 26.36

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.51

$1.96 R 32.02

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 78.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,924

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.31

$0.32 R 5.27

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.74

$0.96 R 15.72

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 239

$14.89 R 244

-2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 24.14

$1.53 R 25.05

-3.92%

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

$36.5K R 598.5K

$36.0K R 589.0K

1.62%

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

$34.0K R 556.9K

$32.6K R 533.6K

4.35%

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

$155 R 2,534

$204 R 3,339

-24.13%

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

$37.47 R 614

$38.80 R 636

-3.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 619

$38.16 R 625

-0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 520

$18.56 R 304

71.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 177

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 121

$7.47 R 122

-0.80%

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

$263 R 4,312

$245 R 4,019

7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 132.4K

$5,491 R 89.9K

47.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 891

$53.8 R 881

1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 540

$32.94 R 539

0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,525

$93.0 R 1,523

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,411

$83.7 R 1,371

2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,708

$403 R 6,603

16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,840

$312 R 5,110

33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.5K

$483 R 7,908

108.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.7K

$2,049 R 33.6K

-29.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.91

3.94%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for Benoni: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Pretoria and $403 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Pretoria vs $39.00 in Benoni. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $195, with Benoni cheaper for home cooking.

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

Pretoria vs Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria and Benoni differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,377 vs $1,102 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Benoni. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $471 in Pretoria versus $403 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Pretoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,377 per month in Pretoria versus $1,102 in Benoni – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Benoni versus $1,377 in Pretoria, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pretoria and Benoni are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.