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: $1,168 in Pretoria versus $1,123 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,765 in Pretoria versus $1,852 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Pretoria versus $2,580 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

$8.38 R 136

$10.60 R 172

-20.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 R 546

$34.15 R 553

-1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 R 74.9

$4.82 R 77.9

-3.94%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 33.94

$2.09 R 33.88

0.48%

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

$1.05 R 17.04

$0.98 R 15.88

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.23

$0.81 R 13.10

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 37.28

$2.30 R 37.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 R 46.19

$2.50 R 40.46

14.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.31

$1.15 R 18.63

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.13

$1.07 R 17.26

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.17

$1.65 R 26.76

-1.82%

Eggs

$2.39 R 38.74

$2.41 R 39.00

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 R 127

$8.14 R 132

-3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 R 73.7

$4.84 R 78.4

-5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 R 102

$6.72 R 109

-6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.55

$1.63 R 26.44

0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.15

$1.56 R 25.27

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.01

$1.65 R 26.63

1.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.23

$1.60 R 25.89

5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.11

$1.32 R 21.43

3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.71

$1.38 R 22.38

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.70

$1.09 R 17.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.14

$1.06 R 17.19

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 46.33

$3.10 R 50.2

-7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.5

$6.02 R 97.4

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.37

$1.51 R 24.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R 28.94

$1.71 R 27.75

4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 R 51.0

$2.18 R 35.34

44.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 R 1,036

$91.2 R 1,476

-29.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.18

$1.14 R 18.44

25.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 R 22.24

$1.10 R 17.88

24.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 R 51.2

$4.05 R 65.6

-21.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.50

$1.26 R 20.44

0.79%

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

$19.2K R 311.1K

$22.1K R 358.1K

-13.11%

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

$25.6K R 415.2K

$24.0K R 388.4K

6.88%

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

$124 R 2,004

$119 R 1,934

3.62%

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

$37.32 R 604

$37.11 R 601

0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 R 623

$42.50 R 688

-9.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 R 516

$42.40 R 686

-24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 R 169

$0.95 R 15.42

995.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 120

$7.42 R 120

-0.40%

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

$197 R 3,181

$205 R 3,321

-4.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,311 R 69.8K

$4,265 R 69.0K

1.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 832

$51.1 R 827

0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.60 R 511

$32.58 R 527

-3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 R 1,397

$86.4 R 1,398

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 R 1,407

$87.4 R 1,415

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 R 6,422

$322 R 5,217

23.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 R 6,288

$334 R 5,412

16.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.7K

$524 R 8,480

37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 R 12.1K

$806 R 13.0K

-7.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$910 R 14.7K

$530 R 8,573

71.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 R 11.4K

$597 R 9,666

18.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,480 R 23.9K

$2,174 R 35.2K

-31.93%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Centurion: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $397 in Pretoria and $322 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 47% 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 $182 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

Pretoria and Centurion differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,168 vs $1,123 including rent). Centurion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Centurion earns 47% 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: $397 in Pretoria versus $322 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 42% less than in Pretoria. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Pretoria versus $205 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,123 in Centurion versus $1,168 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 $1,123 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.