Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and George Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and George

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Pretoria versus $1,158 in George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,061 in Pretoria versus $1,912 in George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Pretoria versus $2,666 in George.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 19% more expensive than in George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pretoria is 1% above, George is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 152

$11.06 R 181

-15.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 623

$43.60 R 714

-12.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 93.5

$5.11 R 83.7

11.74%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.56

$2.19 R 35.84

7.31%

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

$1.06 R 17.35

$1.04 R 17.09

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.45

$0.77 R 12.53

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.45

$2.84 R 46.51

-6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.1

$3.33 R 54.5

-4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.18

$1.16 R 18.92

6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.92

$1.09 R 17.86

6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.24

$1.51 R 24.73

22.52%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.66

$2.77 R 45.31

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 139

$8.72 R 143

-2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 83.0

$5.63 R 92.3

-9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 119

$6.71 R 110

7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.64

$1.68 R 27.60

11.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.69

$1.58 R 25.87

3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.04

$1.58 R 25.91

15.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.05

$1.66 R 27.21

-0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.41

$1.69 R 27.67

-29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.20

$1.48 R 24.26

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.28

$1.35 R 22.09

-8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.28

$1.03 R 16.83

32.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.5

$3.26 R 53.4

0.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.3

$4.93 R 80.8

2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.22

$1.32 R 21.62

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.51

$1.80 R 29.49

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 78.6

$1.52 R 24.96

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,924

$28.53 R 467

525.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.31

$0.66 R 10.82

-51.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.74

$0.52 R 8.45

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 239

$8.79 R 144

65.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 24.14

$1.27 R 20.86

15.75%

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

$36.5K R 598.5K

$31.2K R 510.2K

17.29%

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

$34.0K R 556.9K

$29.7K R 485.9K

14.59%

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

$155 R 2,534

$125 R 2,050

23.58%

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

$37.47 R 614

$18.37 R 301

103.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 619

$46.20 R 757

-18.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 520

$31.19 R 511

1.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 177

$12.56 R 206

-13.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 121

$6.12 R 100

21.08%

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

$263 R 4,312

$143 R 2,337

84.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 132.4K

$5,417 R 88.7K

49.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 891

$73.9 R 1,210

-26.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 540

$39.03 R 639

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,525

$113 R 1,850

-17.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,411

$88.8 R 1,454

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,708

$442 R 7,236

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,840

$377 R 6,180

10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.5K

$802 R 13.1K

25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.5K

$949 R 15.5K

-19.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.7K

$889 R 14.6K

1.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.7K

$685 R 11.2K

4.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.7K

$1,387 R 22.7K

4.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for George: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Pretoria and $442 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pretoria pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Pretoria vs $44.00 in George. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $192, with George cheaper for home cooking.

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Pretoria, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $471 in Pretoria versus $442 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $38.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,377 per month in Pretoria versus $1,158 in George – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,158 in George versus $1,377 in Pretoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pretoria and George are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.