Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Howick Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Howick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,169 in Pretoria versus $890 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,765 in Pretoria versus $1,335 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,361 in Pretoria versus $1,780 in Howick.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 31% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pretoria 12% lower, Howick 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 R 143

$3.39 R 56.5

152.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.08 R 568

$27.60 R 460

23.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 R 78.1

$3.31 R 55.2

41.69%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.43

$1.94 R 32.27

9.79%

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

$1.06 R 17.61

$0.54 R 9.07

96.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.68

$0.43 R 7.14

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 38.11

$1.93 R 32.13

18.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R 45.39

$2.29 R 38.22

18.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 20.06

$0.99 R 16.49

21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.74

$0.81 R 13.51

32.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.19

$1.10 R 18.37

48.18%

Eggs

$2.40 R 39.98

$2.16 R 36.01

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 R 125

$4.94 R 82.2

51.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 76.4

$2.22 R 37.04

106.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 R 110

$5.07 R 84.4

30.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.84

$1.54 R 25.72

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.38

$1.15 R 19.18

37.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.51

$1.38 R 22.92

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.08

$1.11 R 18.42

52.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.67

$0.80 R 13.35

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 R 18.78

$0.99 R 16.45

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 18.49

$0.89 R 14.88

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R 47.92

$3.00 R 50.0

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 83.9

$4.68 R 77.9

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R 25.87

$1.14 R 19.06

35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 R 31.13

$1.10 R 18.29

70.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 R 54.4

$1.63 R 27.14

100.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 R 1,082

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 R 22.74

$1.66 R 27.57

-17.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 R 23.02

$0.59 R 9.79

133.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 R 50.3

$6.81 R 113

-55.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.96

$1.19 R 19.75

10.92%

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

$18.9K R 315.7K

$13.8K R 229.7K

37.44%

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

$26.5K R 441.9K

$22.5K R 375.0K

17.84%

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

$127 R 2,109

$145 R 2,419

-12.80%

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

$37.37 R 623

$14.05 R 234

165.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.46 R 641

$33.96 R 566

13.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.65 R 527

$31.23 R 520

1.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.30 R 172

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 R 126

$5.56 R 92.6

35.79%

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

$195 R 3,245

$99.9 R 1,664

95.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,269 R 71.1K

$4,572 R 76.2K

-6.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 R 847

$42.19 R 703

20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 R 545

$13.86 R 231

136.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 R 1,455

$83.5 R 1,391

4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 R 1,452

$45.11 R 751

93.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,640

$369 R 6,148

8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R 6,509

$331 R 5,509

18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 R 12.2K

$696 R 11.6K

5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 R 12.5K

$684 R 11.4K

10.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 R 14.2K

$913 R 15.2K

-6.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$688 R 11.5K

$616 R 10.3K

11.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 R 23.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

12.01

-2.66%

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

Last update for Pretoria: July 26, 2026

Last update for Howick: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Pretoria and $369 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Pretoria vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $135 per month, with Howick 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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,753 in Pretoria and $1,334 in Howick 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: $399 in Pretoria versus $369 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $195 in Pretoria versus $99.9 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $34.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Howick versus $1,169 in Pretoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Howick 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 Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.