Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,150 a month against $1,328 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,328

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,150

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Durban

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pretoria and in Durban actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,328 per month in Pretoria vs $1,150 in Durban, rent included.

Pretoria $1,328
Durban $1,150

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Pretoria vs $1,777 in Durban, rent included.

Pretoria $2,017
Durban $1,777

A family of three spends $2,707 per month in Pretoria vs $2,404 in Durban, rent included.

Pretoria $2,707
Durban $2,404

Pretoria costs about 15% more than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pretoria and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 2% lower, Durban 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 R 149

$7.84 R 129

15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.37 R 616

$38.75 R 638

-3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 R 87.0

$5.87 R 96.7

-10.05%

Cappuccino

$2.33 R 38.34

$2.63 R 43.30

-11.41%

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

$1.09 R 17.89

$1.08 R 17.85

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.58

$2.37 R 38.99

8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.5

$2.62 R 43.10

23.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.62

$1.23 R 20.33

-3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.63

$0.99 R 16.23

14.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.17

$1.50 R 24.71

18.00%

Eggs

$2.55 R 42.00

$2.34 R 38.58

8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 R 135

$8.10 R 133

1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R 79.5

$5.09 R 83.8

-5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 R 123

$7.48 R 123

-0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.22

$1.93 R 31.78

-11.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.46

$1.90 R 31.36

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.30

$1.91 R 31.42

-6.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.66

$1.64 R 27.09

-1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.54

$1.49 R 24.61

-24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.39

$1.40 R 23.11

-15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.97

$1.14 R 18.84

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 R 52.4

$3.64 R 60.0

-12.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 82.6

$4.75 R 78.2

5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.28

$1.41 R 23.27

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.65

$1.85 R 30.45

3.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 R 79.2

$1.80 R 29.63

167.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$176 R 2,893

$21.77 R 359

706.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.19

$0.40 R 6.60

-22.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R 12.40

$0.76 R 12.47

-1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.28 R 235

$7.53 R 124

89.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 25.03

$1.55 R 25.52

-1.94%

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

$35.1K R 578.0K

$35.0K R 577.2K

0.14%

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

$33.3K R 549.0K

$31.3K R 515.5K

6.50%

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

$152 R 2,505

$148 R 2,435

2.87%

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

$36.95 R 609

$35.20 R 580

4.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.42 R 617

$38.95 R 642

-3.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 R 516

$31.79 R 524

-1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.27 R 169

$9.10 R 150

12.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R 123

$7.32 R 121

1.91%

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

$261 R 4,300

$312 R 5,143

-16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,812 R 128.7K

$7,555 R 124.5K

3.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 R 886

$55.0 R 905

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.62 R 521

$30.90 R 509

2.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 R 1,549

$100 R 1,648

-6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 R 1,383

$84.3 R 1,389

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 R 7,514

$463 R 7,621

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R 6,610

$398 R 6,555

0.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 R 16.2K

$818 R 13.5K

19.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 R 12.3K

$789 R 13.0K

-5.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$875 R 14.4K

$878 R 14.5K

-0.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R 11.4K

$580 R 9,557

19.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 R 23.4K

$1,271 R 20.9K

11.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.78

-3.74%

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

Last update for Pretoria: October 12, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$401 30.2%

Durban

$398 34.6% 0.8% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$226 17.1%

Durban

$222 19.3% 2% $4.5

Getting Around

Pretoria

$199 15%

Durban

$33 2.9% 83.3% $166

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$193 14.6%

Durban

$193 16.7% 0.3% $0.6

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 10.8%

Durban

$137 11.9% 4.6% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$119 8.9%

Durban

$122 10.6% 2.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.5%

Durban

$46 4% 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $456 in Pretoria versus $463 in Durban. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Pretoria versus $39.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $193 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

3,442,361

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pretoria Durban 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pretoria
Durban

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,992 per month in Pretoria and $1,726 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durban, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,328 in Pretoria and $1,150 in Durban. That's a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 707% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,150, than in Pretoria at $1,328. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Durban – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.