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 $1,165 per month in Pretoria vs $1,076 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,794 per month in Pretoria vs $1,570 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,423 per month in Pretoria vs $2,064 in East London, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 8% more than East London, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Pretoria and East London are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 13% lower, East London 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R 138

$6.90 R 113

22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.10 R 543

$31.33 R 514

5.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 R 79.1

$4.61 R 75.6

4.56%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 34.44

$2.02 R 33.20

3.96%

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

$1.01 R 16.58

$0.99 R 16.18

2.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.62

$0.88 R 14.36

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.00

$2.57 R 42.20

-12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 R 47.26

$3.02 R 49.45

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.60

$1.07 R 17.54

17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.74

$0.90 R 14.77

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.88

$1.96 R 32.16

-16.33%

Eggs

$2.43 R 39.79

$2.13 R 35.00

14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 R 123

$9.30 R 152

-19.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 R 72.9

$4.06 R 66.6

9.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.27 R 103

$7.35 R 121

-14.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.48

$1.58 R 25.84

6.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.25

$2.15 R 35.30

-25.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.25

$1.39 R 22.76

19.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.43

$1.48 R 24.32

8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.49

$1.49 R 24.37

-12.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.97

$1.42 R 23.32

-14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 R 18.75

$1.06 R 17.38

7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.44

$0.92 R 15.10

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 46.98

$2.62 R 42.98

9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 R 86.3

$4.75 R 77.9

10.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.61

$1.76 R 28.81

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 R 30.72

$2.53 R 41.46

-26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 R 53.8

$0.73 R 11.96

349.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 R 1,049

$21.51 R 353

197.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.60

$1.09 R 17.94

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 R 21.73

$0.94 R 15.35

40.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 R 49.65

$4.06 R 66.6

-25.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.57

$1.28 R 20.93

-2.34%

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

$19.2K R 314.1K

$35.7K R 585.8K

-46.38%

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

$26.4K R 433.7K

$21.9K R 358.8K

20.87%

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

$122 R 2,002

$198 R 3,243

-38.26%

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

$37.95 R 622

$30.90 R 507

22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.13 R 625

$45.08 R 739

-15.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 R 527

$33.27 R 546

-3.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.42 R 171

$1.42 R 23.33

633.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 R 125

$3.66 R 60.0

107.38%

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

$198 R 3,251

$119 R 1,957

66.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,398 R 72.1K

$4,233 R 69.4K

3.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 R 827

$51.8 R 850

-2.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 R 522

$28.88 R 474

10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 R 1,466

$105 R 1,725

-15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 R 1,427

$85.2 R 1,396

2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 R 6,506

$270 R 4,432

46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,456

$297 R 4,867

32.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.7K

$509 R 8,351

40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 R 12.5K

$544 R 8,922

40.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$879 R 14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 R 11.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,416 R 23.2K

$1,685 R 27.6K

-15.95%

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for East London: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Pretoria versus $270 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 19% 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 $33 in Pretoria versus $31 in East London. Groceries tell a different story – $182 in Pretoria vs $186 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: $1,165 in Pretoria, $1,076 in East London – roughly 8% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,748 per month in Pretoria and $1,614 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 $198 per month in Pretoria and $119 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 $1,076, than in Pretoria at $1,165. 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.