Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,370 per month in Pretoria vs $1,150 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,090 per month in Pretoria vs $1,789 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Pretoria vs $2,428 in Durban, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 19% more than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 0% above the global median, while Durban is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 R 154

$8.10 R 130

18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 R 636

$40.00 R 643

-1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 R 88.6

$5.80 R 93.2

-4.83%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R 36.62

$2.78 R 44.72

-17.99%

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

$1.08 R 17.31

$1.14 R 18.36

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.52

$0.93 R 14.96

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 42.57

$2.42 R 38.93

9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 R 53.8

$2.77 R 44.56

20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.14

$1.25 R 20.15

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 17.91

$0.99 R 15.92

12.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.34

$1.64 R 26.36

15.24%

Eggs

$2.53 R 40.70

$2.44 R 39.25

3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 R 137

$8.65 R 139

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.99 R 80.2

$5.64 R 90.6

-11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 R 121

$7.30 R 117

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R 30.91

$1.88 R 30.25

2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.63

$1.91 R 30.67

-13.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 28.84

$1.93 R 30.95

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.99

$1.67 R 26.88

0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.15

$1.55 R 24.92

-23.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.63

$1.53 R 24.56

-20.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.04

$1.22 R 19.66

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.15

$1.25 R 20.03

10.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 53.5

$3.72 R 59.7

-10.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 R 82.4

$4.83 R 77.6

6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R 24.84

$1.51 R 24.28

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 32.98

$1.97 R 31.68

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.73 R 75.9

$1.93 R 30.96

145.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$180 R 2,891

$22.24 R 357

709.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.17

$0.45 R 7.24

-28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 12.79

$0.77 R 12.33

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 R 243

$7.72 R 124

96.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 24.64

$1.47 R 23.55

4.08%

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

$36.0K R 578.0K

$36.5K R 586.1K

-1.38%

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

$35.4K R 569.1K

$33.0K R 529.7K

7.43%

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

$154 R 2,472

$148 R 2,380

3.86%

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

$37.44 R 601

$35.25 R 566

6.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 R 607

$38.89 R 625

-2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.04 R 531

$31.54 R 507

4.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.86 R 175

$9.41 R 151

15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 R 116

$6.68 R 107

8.53%

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

$267 R 4,284

$331 R 5,318

-19.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 R 130.4K

$7,462 R 119.9K

8.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 R 880

$53.4 R 858

2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.45 R 521

$30.55 R 491

6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 R 1,517

$101 R 1,622

-6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 R 1,368

$88.7 R 1,425

-3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 R 7,648

$490 R 7,863

-2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 R 6,592

$400 R 6,424

2.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 R 15.7K

$862 R 13.8K

13.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R 12.4K

$790 R 12.7K

-2.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$905 R 14.5K

$934 R 15.0K

-3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$719 R 11.6K

$590 R 9,477

21.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,417 R 22.8K

$1,250 R 20.1K

13.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.66

-2.74%

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

Last update for Pretoria: August 31, 2026

Last update for Durban: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Pretoria versus $490 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 13% 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 $40.00 in Pretoria versus $40.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $201 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 19%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,054 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 $1,370 in Pretoria and $1,150 in Durban. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 709% 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 $1,370. 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.