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: $1,384 in Pretoria versus $1,371 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,088 in Pretoria versus $2,224 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,793 in Pretoria versus $3,077 in Centurion.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 1% more expensive than in Centurion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pretoria 2% above, Centurion 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R 147

$22.14 R 357

-58.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.58 R 623

$41.63 R 672

-7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 R 90.4

$5.92 R 95.6

-5.41%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R 38.55

$2.74 R 44.24

-12.77%

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

$1.07 R 17.35

$0.99 R 16.03

8.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.42

$0.83 R 13.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 R 44.36

$2.14 R 34.57

28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 51.3

$2.51 R 40.46

26.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.63

$1.24 R 20.07

-1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 17.94

$1.29 R 20.86

-13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 28.98

$2.14 R 34.57

-15.89%

Eggs

$2.61 R 42.05

$3.15 R 50.8

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 R 134

$10.30 R 166

-19.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 R 79.7

$6.99 R 113

-29.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 118

$7.43 R 120

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.82

$1.86 R 30.05

-0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.67

$1.86 R 30.03

-11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.74

$2.24 R 36.14

-17.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R 27.84

$2.15 R 34.67

-19.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R 20.14

$1.55 R 24.98

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.40

$1.84 R 29.77

-31.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.42

$1.39 R 22.42

-8.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.26

$1.43 R 23.09

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 R 54.2

$3.37 R 54.4

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.33 R 86.0

$6.32 R 102

-15.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 25.69

$1.68 R 27.08

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R 31.74

$2.17 R 35.00

-9.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.73 R 76.3

$2.41 R 38.94

96.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,895

$97.7 R 1,577

83.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 R 5.25

$1.22 R 19.69

-72.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.55

$1.22 R 19.69

-36.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.58 R 235

$9.01 R 145

61.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.79

$1.48 R 23.86

-0.68%

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

$36.2K R 584.4K

$36.7K R 592.8K

-1.41%

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

$34.4K R 555.5K

$32.8K R 529.3K

4.95%

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

$157 R 2,541

$118 R 1,909

33.14%

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

$37.46 R 605

$31.18 R 503

20.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 R 619

$40.94 R 661

-6.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.67 R 527

$44.34 R 716

-26.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.87 R 175

$1.05 R 16.97

935.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 R 117

$10.96 R 177

-33.76%

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

$270 R 4,360

$319 R 5,151

-15.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,018 R 129.4K

$4,423 R 71.4K

81.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 R 880

$54.4 R 878

0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 R 528

$45.37 R 732

-27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 R 1,546

$106 R 1,706

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 R 1,357

$105 R 1,698

-20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 R 7,474

$355 R 5,732

30.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 R 6,785

$383 R 6,185

9.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 R 15.8K

$580 R 9,365

68.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 12.7K

$965 R 15.6K

-18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$892 R 14.4K

$522 R 8,432

70.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 R 11.5K

$602 R 9,710

18.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,448 R 23.4K

$2,170 R 35.0K

-33.26%

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: August 8, 2026

Last update for Centurion: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Pretoria and $355 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Pretoria vs $42.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $231 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 1% 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, salaries run 50% 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: $463 in Pretoria versus $355 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 84% less than in Pretoria. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $270 in Pretoria versus $319 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,371 in Centurion versus $1,384 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 $1,371 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 1% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.