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: $1,174 in Pretoria versus $1,127 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Pretoria versus $1,850 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,417 in Pretoria versus $2,573 in Centurion.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 4% more expensive than Centurion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pretoria 12% lower, Centurion 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.17 R 137

$10.83 R 182

-24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.21 R 574

$33.57 R 563

1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 R 79.0

$4.80 R 80.5

-1.87%

Cappuccino

$2.01 R 33.68

$2.04 R 34.17

-1.47%

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

$1.05 R 17.67

$0.99 R 16.68

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.77

$0.81 R 13.52

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 37.11

$2.26 R 37.98

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 47.23

$2.58 R 43.29

9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.99

$1.20 R 20.11

-0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 17.13

$1.02 R 17.07

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.61

$1.69 R 28.35

-2.37%

Eggs

$2.37 R 39.71

$2.52 R 42.31

-5.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 R 130

$8.17 R 137

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 76.8

$4.83 R 81.1

-5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 R 107

$6.60 R 111

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.34

$1.61 R 26.98

4.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.81

$1.56 R 26.17

2.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.74

$1.67 R 27.98

-4.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.50

$1.65 R 27.69

-0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.87

$1.34 R 22.51

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.43

$1.39 R 23.33

-16.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.26

$1.05 R 17.57

3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 18.65

$1.10 R 18.49

0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 48.00

$3.15 R 52.8

-9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 84.5

$5.38 R 90.2

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 25.14

$1.45 R 24.24

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R 30.04

$1.77 R 29.73

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 R 52.3

$2.26 R 37.93

38.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 R 1,064

$91.3 R 1,531

-30.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 R 23.73

$1.14 R 19.04

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 R 22.01

$1.10 R 18.51

19.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 R 50.6

$4.09 R 68.7

-26.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.95

$1.30 R 21.85

0.77%

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

$19.5K R 327.8K

$22.1K R 370.2K

-11.45%

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

$26.2K R 440.2K

$24.3K R 406.9K

8.18%

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

$126 R 2,120

$118 R 1,975

7.35%

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

$38.00 R 637

$37.31 R 626

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.28 R 642

$41.19 R 691

-7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 R 545

$42.25 R 709

-23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 R 177

$0.95 R 15.97

1012.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 R 126

$7.68 R 129

-2.08%

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

$196 R 3,288

$204 R 3,428

-4.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,288 R 71.9K

$4,324 R 72.5K

-0.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 R 857

$50.3 R 844

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 R 541

$32.56 R 546

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 R 1,471

$86.4 R 1,450

1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 R 1,462

$87.0 R 1,460

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R 6,640

$319 R 5,354

24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 R 6,599

$331 R 5,545

19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 12.1K

$531 R 8,897

36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 R 12.9K

$821 R 13.8K

-6.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$898 R 15.1K

$514 R 8,619

74.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$700 R 11.7K

$579 R 9,703

21.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,408 R 23.6K

$2,253 R 37.8K

-37.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

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

Last update for Pretoria: April 26, 2026

Last update for Centurion: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Pretoria and $319 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Pretoria vs $34.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $186 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

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

On paper, Centurion earns 60% less. 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: $396 in Pretoria versus $319 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 44% less than in Pretoria. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $196 in Pretoria versus $204 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,127 in Centurion versus $1,174 in Pretoria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,127 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion 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 Centurion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.