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 $1,377 per month in Pretoria vs $1,045 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Pretoria vs $1,696 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Pretoria vs $2,347 in East London, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 32% more than East London, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 1% above the global median, while East London is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 151

$9.32 R 151

-0.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 618

$38.27 R 622

-0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 92.8

$5.78 R 93.9

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.27

$2.12 R 34.49

10.85%

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

$1.06 R 17.22

$1.09 R 17.65

-2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.34

$0.80 R 12.94

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.12

$2.84 R 46.18

-6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 51.7

$3.17 R 51.6

0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.03

$1.20 R 19.56

2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.78

$0.99 R 16.04

17.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.01

$1.50 R 24.32

23.33%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.35

$2.21 R 35.95

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 138

$9.02 R 147

-5.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 82.4

$5.54 R 90.0

-8.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 118

$8.48 R 138

-14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.41

$1.50 R 24.43

24.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.49

$1.58 R 25.75

3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.82

$1.74 R 28.25

5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.84

$1.54 R 25.01

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.27

$1.71 R 27.77

-30.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.05

$1.47 R 23.85

-16.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.13

$1.20 R 19.53

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.11

$0.92 R 14.95

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.1

$2.92 R 47.46

11.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 81.7

$4.99 R 81.1

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.03

$1.31 R 21.25

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.27

$1.81 R 29.40

6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 78.0

$1.52 R 24.78

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,902

$48.19 R 783

270.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.27

$1.21 R 19.59

-73.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.65

$0.50 R 8.16

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 237

$8.50 R 138

71.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.96

$1.33 R 21.66

10.53%

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

$36.5K R 594.0K

$36.2K R 588.0K

1.02%

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

$34.0K R 552.7K

$29.4K R 478.3K

15.55%

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

$155 R 2,515

$124 R 2,018

24.60%

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

$37.47 R 609

$33.92 R 551

10.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 614

$44.33 R 721

-14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 516

$39.59 R 644

-19.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 120

$4.82 R 78.4

53.73%

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

$263 R 4,280

$179 R 2,913

46.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 131.5K

$5,458 R 88.7K

48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 884

$58.6 R 952

-7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 536

$34.33 R 558

-3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,514

$73.0 R 1,187

27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,401

$100 R 1,626

-13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,650

$294 R 4,787

59.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,789

$255 R 4,141

63.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.4K

$548 R 8,916

83.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.4K

$655 R 10.7K

16.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.5K

$1,704 R 27.7K

-15.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.09%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for East London: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Pretoria versus $294 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 18% 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 $38.00 in Pretoria versus $38.00 in East London. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pretoria vs $193 in East London – so East London 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: $1,377 in Pretoria, $1,045 in East London – roughly 32% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,066 per month in Pretoria and $1,567 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 $263 per month in Pretoria and $179 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,045, than in Pretoria at $1,377. 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.