Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and East London Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and East London

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,161 per month in Pretoria vs $1,052 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,768 per month in Pretoria vs $1,572 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,375 per month in Pretoria vs $2,092 in East London, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 10% more than East London, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Pretoria and East London are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 14% lower, East London 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 R 134

$6.79 R 110

21.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 R 554

$30.73 R 497

11.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 R 75.6

$4.45 R 71.9

4.94%

Cappuccino

$2.11 R 34.13

$2.02 R 32.73

4.46%

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

$1.06 R 17.14

$0.99 R 16.00

7.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 13.97

$0.82 R 13.23

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R 35.87

$2.56 R 41.32

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R 44.46

$3.13 R 50.6

-12.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.45

$1.06 R 17.13

13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.38

$0.90 R 14.55

12.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.47

$2.03 R 32.85

-19.21%

Eggs

$2.39 R 38.70

$2.06 R 33.29

16.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 R 128

$9.36 R 151

-15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 75.7

$4.15 R 67.0

12.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.32 R 102

$7.42 R 120

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.43

$1.52 R 24.50

11.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.87

$2.13 R 34.47

-27.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.85

$1.43 R 23.19

11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.35

$1.46 R 23.66

15.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.42

$1.57 R 25.32

-15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.48

$1.47 R 23.78

-18.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.47

$1.05 R 16.97

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.22

$0.92 R 14.88

22.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 R 44.75

$2.62 R 42.36

5.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.8

$4.92 R 79.6

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 R 24.16

$1.71 R 27.71

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 28.74

$2.53 R 40.93

-29.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 R 52.3

$0.73 R 11.82

342.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 R 1,049

$21.78 R 352

197.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 R 22.17

$1.13 R 18.29

21.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 R 21.29

$0.96 R 15.50

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 R 51.0

$4.14 R 66.9

-23.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.17

$1.21 R 19.62

8.26%

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

$19.6K R 317.3K

$37.0K R 598.3K

-46.97%

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

$25.7K R 415.5K

$22.2K R 359.6K

15.56%

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

$126 R 2,035

$196 R 3,172

-35.86%

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

$37.96 R 614

$30.20 R 488

25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 R 608

$44.54 R 720

-15.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.78 R 530

$33.44 R 541

-1.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.48 R 169

$1.43 R 23.05

632.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 R 125

$3.60 R 58.2

114.17%

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

$195 R 3,146

$121 R 1,948

61.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,381 R 70.8K

$4,276 R 69.1K

2.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 R 835

$51.9 R 838

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.69 R 512

$28.73 R 464

10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 R 1,439

$107 R 1,724

-16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 R 1,418

$85.4 R 1,380

2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,450

$268 R 4,337

48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,515

$300 R 4,845

34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 R 11.8K

$505 R 8,161

44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 R 12.5K

$551 R 8,912

39.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$872 R 14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 R 11.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,467 R 23.7K

$1,645 R 26.6K

-10.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

6.27%

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

Last update for Pretoria: June 7, 2026

Last update for East London: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $399 in Pretoria versus $268 in East London. 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 East London, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Pretoria versus $31.00 in East London. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Pretoria vs $187 in East London – so Pretoria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,161 in Pretoria, $1,052 in East London – roughly 10% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,742 per month in Pretoria and $1,578 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $195 per month in Pretoria and $121 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Pretoria – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Pretoria at $1,161. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward East London – 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 East London. 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.