Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Grahamstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Grahamstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Pretoria versus $1,172 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,091 in Pretoria versus $1,838 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,804 in Pretoria versus $2,504 in Grahamstown.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 18% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pretoria is 0% above, Grahamstown is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 R 151

$11.47 R 185

-18.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.72 R 624

$43.64 R 703

-11.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 R 91.5

$6.30 R 101

-9.84%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R 36.75

$2.24 R 36.15

1.79%

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

$1.08 R 17.39

$1.04 R 16.78

3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 13.98

$0.77 R 12.39

12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 R 43.00

$2.86 R 46.04

-6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 R 53.9

$3.31 R 53.3

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.39

$1.17 R 18.86

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 R 18.84

$1.08 R 17.35

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.79

$1.54 R 24.88

20.13%

Eggs

$2.60 R 41.93

$2.90 R 46.62

-10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$8.89 R 143

-6.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 R 80.3

$5.70 R 91.8

-12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 R 121

$8.98 R 145

-16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.80

$2.25 R 36.16

-15.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.87

$1.58 R 25.50

5.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.64

$1.69 R 27.14

5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.02

$1.78 R 28.68

-5.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R 18.72

$1.79 R 28.88

-35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.08

$1.46 R 23.52

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.25

$1.34 R 21.51

-5.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.35

$1.03 R 16.51

29.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 R 53.2

$3.45 R 55.5

-4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.5

$5.12 R 82.4

1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 25.56

$1.27 R 20.43

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 32.95

$1.81 R 29.22

13.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 R 76.4

$1.42 R 22.94

234.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,012

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.75

$0.64 R 10.37

-54.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R 13.44

$0.52 R 8.30

59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.81 R 239

$8.51 R 137

74.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.00

$1.48 R 23.88

4.73%

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

$36.4K R 586.3K

$36.2K R 583.2K

0.54%

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

$35.2K R 567.0K

$34.6K R 557.9K

1.64%

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

$160 R 2,580

$125 R 2,010

28.37%

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

$38.55 R 621

$35.71 R 575

7.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.82 R 609

$46.78 R 753

-19.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.38 R 538

$36.24 R 584

-7.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 118

$10.89 R 175

-32.69%

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

$270 R 4,342

$188 R 3,028

43.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,992 R 128.7K

$5,099 R 82.1K

56.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 R 891

$72.3 R 1,164

-23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 R 527

$39.22 R 632

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 R 1,557

$115 R 1,858

-16.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 R 1,382

$101 R 1,634

-15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 R 7,513

$436 R 7,027

6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 6,831

$373 R 6,009

13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 R 16.4K

$810 R 13.1K

25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 12.6K

$767 R 12.4K

2.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 R 14.5K

$1,009 R 16.3K

-10.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.5K

$638 R 10.3K

11.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,454 R 23.4K

$1,240 R 20.0K

17.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.94

-5.03%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Pretoria and $436 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pretoria pays 17% 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: $39.00 in Pretoria vs $44.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $205 per month, with Pretoria cheaper across the board.

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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Pretoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $467 in Pretoria versus $436 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pretoria pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,379 per month in Pretoria versus $1,172 in Grahamstown – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,172 in Grahamstown versus $1,379 in Pretoria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.