Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Hermanus

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermanus: $1,118 a month against $1,328 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Hermanus
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Hermanus Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,328

/mo nomad

Hermanus

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Hermanus

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 Hermanus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,328 in Pretoria versus $1,118 in Hermanus.

Pretoria $1,328
Hermanus $1,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Pretoria versus $1,727 in Hermanus.

Pretoria $2,017
Hermanus $1,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,707 in Pretoria versus $2,336 in Hermanus.

Pretoria $2,707
Hermanus $2,336

Living in Pretoria is roughly 19% more expensive than in Hermanus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pretoria 2% lower, Hermanus 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 R 149

$13.13 R 216

-31.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.37 R 616

$34.89 R 575

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 R 87.0

$5.59 R 92.1

-5.55%

Cappuccino

$2.33 R 38.34

$2.30 R 37.84

1.30%

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

$1.09 R 17.89

$1.08 R 17.76

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.72

$0.87 R 14.27

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.58

$2.23 R 36.66

15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.5

$2.77 R 45.61

16.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.62

$1.19 R 19.66

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.63

$1.12 R 18.47

0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.17

$1.77 R 29.18

Eggs

$2.55 R 42.00

$2.44 R 40.15

4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 R 135

$8.34 R 137

-1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R 79.5

$4.98 R 82.0

-3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 R 123

$7.04 R 116

5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.22

$1.76 R 29.07

-2.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.46

$1.68 R 27.62

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.30

$1.79 R 29.42

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.66

$1.71 R 28.10

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.54

$1.47 R 24.14

-23.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.39

$1.43 R 23.63

-17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.33

$1.20 R 19.78

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.97

$1.17 R 19.28

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 R 52.4

$3.34 R 55.1

-4.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 82.6

$7.06 R 116

-29.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.28

$1.45 R 23.81

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.65

$1.95 R 32.12

-1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 R 79.2

$1.48 R 24.34

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$176 R 2,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.19

$0.62 R 10.25

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R 12.40

$0.88 R 14.46

-14.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.28 R 235

$11.54 R 190

23.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 25.03

$1.46 R 24.02

4.11%

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

$35.1K R 578.0K

$36.0K R 593.0K

-2.53%

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

$33.3K R 549.0K

$31.8K R 524.6K

4.65%

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

$152 R 2,505

$145 R 2,395

4.57%

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

$36.95 R 609

$35.60 R 587

3.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.42 R 617

$39.60 R 652

-5.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 R 516

$21.12 R 348

48.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.27 R 169

$13.86 R 228

-25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R 123

$6.19 R 102

20.52%

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

$261 R 4,300

$245 R 4,032

6.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,812 R 128.7K

$5,463 R 90.0K

43.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 R 886

$52.2 R 860

3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.62 R 521

$32.45 R 535

-2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 R 1,549

$101 R 1,658

-6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 R 1,383

$86.9 R 1,431

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 R 7,514

$396 R 6,524

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R 6,610

$359 R 5,923

11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 R 16.2K

$716 R 11.8K

36.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 R 12.3K

$717 R 11.8K

4.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$875 R 14.4K

$888 R 14.6K

-1.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R 11.4K

$659 R 10.9K

4.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 R 23.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.94

3.66%

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

Last update for Pretoria: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$401 30.2%

Hermanus

$359 32.2% 10.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$226 17.1%

Hermanus

$221 19.7% 2.6% $5.8

Getting Around

Pretoria

$199 15%

Hermanus

$11 * 1% 94.5% $188

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$193 14.6%

Hermanus

$197 17.6% 1.9% $3.7

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 10.8%

Hermanus

$174 15.6% 21.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$119 8.9%

Hermanus

$122 11% 3.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.5%

Hermanus

$34 3% 27.6% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $456 in Pretoria and $396 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Pretoria vs $35.00 in Hermanus. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $197, with Pretoria cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Hermanus

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

56,139

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pretoria Hermanus 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Pretoria
Hermanus

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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,992 in Pretoria and $1,677 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $456 in Pretoria versus $396 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pretoria pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,328 per month in Pretoria versus $1,118 in Hermanus – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,118 in Hermanus versus $1,328 in Pretoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus 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 Hermanus 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 Hermanus 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.