Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Hillcrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Hillcrest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,379 per month in Pretoria vs $1,124 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,091 per month in Pretoria vs $1,727 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,804 per month in Pretoria vs $2,330 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 23% more than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 0% above the global median, while Hillcrest is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 R 151

$7.86 R 127

19.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.72 R 624

$38.70 R 623

0.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 R 91.5

$6.16 R 99.3

-7.79%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R 36.75

$2.86 R 46.07

-20.28%

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

$1.08 R 17.39

$1.13 R 18.21

-4.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 13.98

$0.93 R 14.93

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 R 43.00

$2.51 R 40.48

6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 R 53.9

$2.63 R 42.37

27.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.39

$1.30 R 20.91

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 R 18.84

$1.01 R 16.30

15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.79

$1.55 R 25.02

19.35%

Eggs

$2.60 R 41.93

$2.53 R 40.76

2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$8.80 R 142

-5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 R 80.3

$5.34 R 86.0

-6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 R 121

$7.16 R 115

5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.80

$1.34 R 21.56

42.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.87

$1.95 R 31.36

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.64

$2.03 R 32.65

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.02

$1.65 R 26.59

1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R 18.72

$1.59 R 25.63

-27.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.08

$1.43 R 22.97

-16.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.25

$1.20 R 19.29

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.35

$1.22 R 19.68

9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 R 53.2

$3.66 R 58.9

-9.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.5

$4.98 R 80.1

4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 25.56

$1.47 R 23.62

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 32.95

$1.96 R 31.58

4.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 R 76.4

$1.44 R 23.17

229.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 3,012

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.75

$0.45 R 7.32

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R 13.44

$0.72 R 11.52

15.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.81 R 239

$7.67 R 123

93.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.00

$1.50 R 24.23

3.33%

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

$36.4K R 586.3K

$37.2K R 598.9K

-2.10%

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

$35.2K R 567.0K

$32.6K R 525.8K

7.85%

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

$160 R 2,580

$146 R 2,349

9.85%

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

$38.55 R 621

$34.32 R 553

12.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.82 R 609

$40.78 R 657

-7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.38 R 538

$34.93 R 563

-4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 118

$6.97 R 112

5.16%

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

$270 R 4,342

$333 R 5,366

-19.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,992 R 128.7K

$7,872 R 126.8K

1.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 R 891

$55.1 R 887

0.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 R 527

$30.50 R 491

7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 R 1,557

$98.8 R 1,591

-2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 R 1,382

$90.9 R 1,464

-5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 R 7,513

$451 R 7,266

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 6,831

$370 R 5,964

14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 R 16.4K

$747 R 12.0K

36.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 12.6K

$789 R 12.7K

-0.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 R 14.5K

$792 R 12.8K

13.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.5K

$772 R 12.4K

-7.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,454 R 23.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.81

-3.98%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 8, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Pretoria versus $451 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Pretoria versus $39.00 in Hillcrest. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Pretoria vs $197 in Hillcrest – so Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,379 in Pretoria, $1,124 in Hillcrest – roughly 23% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,068 per month in Pretoria and $1,686 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Pretoria and $39.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,124, than in Pretoria at $1,379. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hillcrest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,124 in Hillcrest to $1,379 in Pretoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. 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.