Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Jeffreys Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Jeffreys Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Pretoria versus $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,061 in Pretoria versus $1,654 in Jeffreys Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Pretoria versus $2,247 in Jeffreys Bay.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 30% more expensive than in Jeffreys Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pretoria is 1% above, Jeffreys Bay is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 152

$7.62 R 125

22.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 623

$27.95 R 458

36.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 93.5

$6.08 R 99.6

-6.09%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.56

$1.93 R 31.63

21.76%

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

$1.06 R 17.35

$0.75 R 12.25

41.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.45

$0.68 R 11.08

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.45

$2.01 R 32.97

31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.1

$2.06 R 33.66

54.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.18

$1.17 R 19.18

5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.92

$1.08 R 17.64

7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.24

$1.51 R 24.70

22.52%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.66

$2.78 R 45.57

-8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 139

$6.83 R 112

24.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 83.0

$5.14 R 84.2

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 119

$7.83 R 128

-7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.64

$2.12 R 34.64

-11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.69

$1.51 R 24.80

7.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.04

$1.74 R 28.46

5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.05

$1.85 R 30.25

-10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.41

$1.80 R 29.45

-33.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.20

$1.27 R 20.84

-3.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.28

$1.28 R 20.99

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.28

$1.02 R 16.71

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.5

$3.27 R 53.6

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.3

$3.87 R 63.5

29.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.22

$1.31 R 21.43

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.51

$1.81 R 29.68

6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 78.6

$1.54 R 25.24

211.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,924

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.31

$0.60 R 9.83

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.74

$0.48 R 7.82

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 239

$8.50 R 139

71.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 24.14

$1.47 R 24.11

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

$36.5K R 598.5K

$21.9K R 358.2K

67.06%

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

$34.0K R 556.9K

$18.0K R 295.0K

88.79%

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

$155 R 2,534

$129 R 2,113

19.89%

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

$37.47 R 614

$36.46 R 597

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 619

$47.45 R 777

-20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 520

$32.92 R 539

-3.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 177

$6.10 R 99.9

77.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 121

$3.19 R 52.3

132.29%

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

$263 R 4,312

$145 R 2,380

81.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 132.4K

$6,266 R 102.6K

29.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 891

$74.7 R 1,223

-27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 540

$39.77 R 651

-17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,525

$114 R 1,860

-17.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,411

$100 R 1,639

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,708

$438 R 7,180

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,840

$345 R 5,648

21.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.5K

$808 R 13.2K

24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.5K

$723 R 11.8K

5.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.7K

$884 R 14.5K

1.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.7K

$693 R 11.4K

2.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.7K

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 14, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Pretoria and $438 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Pretoria vs $28.00 in Jeffreys Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $188 per month, with Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffreys Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,066 in Pretoria and $1,591 in Jeffreys Bay 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: $471 in Pretoria versus $438 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Pretoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,377 per month in Pretoria versus $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,377 in Pretoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeffreys Bay but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Jeffreys Bay 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.

Expats usually find Jeffreys Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.