Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Centurion Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Centurion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Pretoria versus $1,409 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,045 in Pretoria versus $2,278 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,741 in Pretoria versus $3,146 in Centurion.

Living in Pretoria costs roughly 4% less than in Centurion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pretoria 0% above, Centurion 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.06 R 149

$21.70 R 356

-58.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 R 634

$40.89 R 672

-5.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 R 87.5

$5.78 R 94.9

-7.79%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 37.29

$2.60 R 42.77

-12.69%

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

$1.06 R 17.48

$1.02 R 16.69

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.71

$0.82 R 13.39

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 42.03

$2.14 R 35.15

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 R 51.2

$2.38 R 39.11

31.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.06

$1.20 R 19.70

1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 18.16

$1.22 R 19.97

-9.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.39

$2.20 R 36.13

-18.64%

Eggs

$2.52 R 41.43

$3.11 R 51.1

-18.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 R 136

$10.27 R 169

-19.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 R 84.5

$6.85 R 112

-24.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R 118

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.81

$1.83 R 30.12

-0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.50

$1.86 R 30.58

-13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.70

$2.21 R 36.24

-20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.09

$2.13 R 35.03

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.65

$1.60 R 26.29

-28.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.13

$1.81 R 29.66

-32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 R 19.68

$1.38 R 22.64

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.27

$1.41 R 23.23

-3.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 53.3

$3.63 R 59.6

-10.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.21 R 85.6

$6.06 R 99.5

-14.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.93

$1.60 R 26.30

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 R 31.68

$2.04 R 33.48

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 R 78.4

$2.47 R 40.64

93.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$182 R 2,997

$98.7 R 1,621

84.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.11

$1.19 R 19.55

-73.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R 13.28

$1.19 R 19.58

-31.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 R 245

$9.20 R 151

62.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 24.92

$1.46 R 24.00

4.11%

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

$36.4K R 597.7K

$35.3K R 579.2K

3.19%

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

$34.7K R 569.9K

$33.0K R 542.1K

5.13%

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

$153 R 2,507

$142 R 2,333

7.48%

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

$38.02 R 624

$30.36 R 499

25.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.88 R 606

$40.37 R 663

-8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.83 R 523

$44.55 R 732

-28.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.74 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 122

$10.51 R 173

-29.50%

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

$261 R 4,288

$320 R 5,260

-18.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,084 R 132.8K

$4,439 R 72.9K

82.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 R 889

$58.4 R 958

-7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 R 539

$44.26 R 727

-25.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 R 1,508

$121 R 1,982

-23.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 R 1,376

$104 R 1,711

-19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 R 7,528

$346 R 5,690

32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R 6,681

$371 R 6,091

9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 R 15.9K

$588 R 9,657

64.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 R 12.3K

$932 R 15.3K

-19.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.8K

$518 R 8,510

73.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.7K

$625 R 10.3K

13.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,416 R 23.3K

$2,370 R 38.9K

-40.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.5

8.00%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 26, 2026

Last update for Centurion: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Pretoria and $346 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Pretoria vs $41.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $227 per month, with Pretoria cheaper across the board.

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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pretoria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Centurion. 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: $458 in Pretoria versus $346 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pretoria runs roughly 85% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $261 in Pretoria versus $320 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,349 in Pretoria versus $1,409 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pretoria but tight or insufficient in Centurion. The gap between the two cities makes Pretoria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pretoria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,349 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pretoria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pretoria and Centurion 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 Pretoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.