Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and George

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,110 a month against $1,279 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,279

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in George

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pretoria and in George actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Pretoria versus $1,110 in George.

Pretoria $1,279
George $1,110

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Pretoria versus $1,847 in George.

Pretoria $1,979
George $1,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,678 in Pretoria versus $2,584 in George.

Pretoria $2,678
George $2,584

Living in Pretoria is roughly 15% more expensive than in George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pretoria 6% lower, George 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 R 155

$10.85 R 181

-14.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 R 602

$41.91 R 700

-13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 R 86.9

$4.95 R 82.6

5.05%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 36.45

$2.13 R 35.57

2.35%

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

$1.03 R 17.19

$1.05 R 17.59

-1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 14.11

$0.78 R 12.95

8.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 R 43.65

$2.70 R 45.10

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 54.1

$3.25 R 54.3

-0.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.52

$1.15 R 19.15

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.79

$1.01 R 16.92

11.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.58

$1.50 R 25.09

22.00%

Eggs

$2.40 R 40.02

$2.79 R 46.63

-13.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 R 136

$8.68 R 145

-5.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R 83.0

$5.29 R 88.2

-6.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 R 123

$6.70 R 112

10.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.42

$1.68 R 27.99

1.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.89

$1.55 R 25.80

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.60

$1.49 R 24.86

18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.11

$1.73 R 28.89

-9.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.67

$1.71 R 28.48

-34.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.33

$1.40 R 23.32

-12.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.43

$1.25 R 20.82

-2.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 21.19

$0.99 R 16.61

28.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 R 53.0

$3.20 R 53.4

-0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 R 82.5

$4.97 R 83.0

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 25.03

$1.28 R 21.44

17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.97

$1.75 R 29.17

9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 R 79.6

$1.48 R 24.63

222.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,986

$27.91 R 466

540.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.82

$0.64 R 10.67

-54.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 13.24

$0.48 R 7.95

64.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.24 R 238

$8.64 R 144

64.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.81

$1.25 R 20.87

24.00%

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

$35.0K R 584.1K

$29.9K R 499.3K

16.97%

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

$35.0K R 584.0K

$30.0K R 500.5K

16.69%

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

$148 R 2,478

$123 R 2,052

20.72%

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

$36.56 R 610

$17.56 R 293

108.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.12 R 603

$46.26 R 772

-21.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.26 R 522

$30.43 R 508

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 176

$10.78 R 180

-2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 R 122

$5.93 R 98.9

22.93%

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

$263 R 4,396

$139 R 2,324

89.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,829 R 130.7K

$5,219 R 87.1K

50.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 R 870

$72.1 R 1,203

-27.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.93 R 533

$38.64 R 645

-17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 R 1,533

$112 R 1,864

-17.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 R 1,372

$86.8 R 1,448

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 R 7,511

$429 R 7,163

4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 5,998

$362 R 6,051

-0.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 R 17.4K

$770 R 12.9K

35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 R 12.3K

$935 R 15.6K

-21.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$869 R 14.5K

$855 R 14.3K

1.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 R 11.1K

$690 R 11.5K

-3.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,386 R 23.1K

$1,339 R 22.4K

3.51%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for George: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$359 28.1%

George

$362 32.6% 0.9% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$221 17.3%

George

$187 16.8% 15.5% $34

Getting Around

Pretoria

$202 15.8%

George

$37 3.3% 81.8% $165

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$192 15%

George

$188 17% 1.7% $3.2

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 11.2%

George

$155 13.9% 8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$116 9.1%

George

$139 12.5% 19.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.6%

George

$42 3.8% 7.7% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Pretoria and $429 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: $36 in Pretoria vs $42 in George. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $188, with George cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

188,580

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pretoria George 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pretoria
George

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 13% cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and leisure. That difference 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: $450 in Pretoria versus $429 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George runs roughly 84% less than in Pretoria. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,279 per month in Pretoria versus $1,110 in George – George is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though George gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – George wins on affordability, Pretoria on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.