Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,151 per month in Pretoria vs $1,149 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,764 per month in Pretoria vs $1,813 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,377 per month in Pretoria vs $2,476 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Pretoria and Johannesburg have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Pretoria and Johannesburg are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 14% lower, Johannesburg 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 R 134

$11.15 R 183

-26.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.02 R 543

$45.18 R 743

-26.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 R 80.5

$4.89 R 80.4

0.20%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 34.93

$2.17 R 35.60

-2.30%

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

$1.02 R 16.85

$0.99 R 16.22

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.33

$0.77 R 12.65

12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R 37.31

$2.68 R 43.98

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 R 45.80

$2.59 R 42.63

7.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.50

$1.16 R 19.04

2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.78

$1.09 R 17.93

-6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.67

$1.65 R 27.13

-5.45%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.28

$2.45 R 40.30

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 R 126

$8.43 R 139

-9.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 R 77.4

$4.77 R 78.3

-1.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 R 105

$6.56 R 108

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.76

$1.67 R 27.41

-2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.10

$1.51 R 24.90

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.47

$1.49 R 24.48

8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.12

$1.61 R 26.42

2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.69

$1.49 R 24.57

-11.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.74

$1.39 R 22.88

-13.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 R 18.64

$1.09 R 17.89

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.91

$0.94 R 15.46

22.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 R 46.84

$3.16 R 51.9

-9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.32 R 87.5

$6.04 R 99.3

-11.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.06

$1.30 R 21.32

22.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.59

$1.68 R 27.55

10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.72 R 28.23

80.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 R 1,070

$71.3 R 1,171

-8.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.73

$1.10 R 18.16

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 R 22.37

$0.96 R 15.84

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 R 49.80

$4.09 R 67.2

-25.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.28 R 21.06

1.56%

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

$19.1K R 314.0K

$22.2K R 364.6K

-13.88%

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

$25.9K R 424.9K

$23.5K R 387.0K

9.79%

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

$126 R 2,077

$118 R 1,933

7.48%

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

$36.89 R 606

$40.44 R 665

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.13 R 627

$42.11 R 692

-9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.17 R 529

$33.88 R 557

-5.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 174

$13.59 R 223

-22.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R 127

$7.07 R 116

9.34%

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

$200 R 3,295

$204 R 3,353

-1.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,263 R 70.1K

$4,903 R 80.6K

-13.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 R 828

$50.9 R 836

-0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 R 527

$33.65 R 553

-4.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 R 1,415

$92.4 R 1,518

-6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 R 1,469

$79.3 R 1,303

12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,557

$414 R 6,803

-3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 R 6,600

$365 R 6,004

9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 R 12.0K

$907 R 14.9K

-19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 R 12.7K

$694 R 11.4K

11.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$877 R 14.4K

$1,043 R 17.1K

-15.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 R 11.7K

$761 R 12.5K

-6.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,482 R 24.4K

$1,734 R 28.5K

-14.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

11.51

1.56%

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

Last update for Pretoria: July 11, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $399 in Pretoria versus $414 in Johannesburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Johannesburg. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Pretoria versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $184 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,726 per month in Pretoria and $1,724 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Pretoria – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $200 per month in Pretoria and $204 in Johannesburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,149, than in Pretoria at $1,151. In Johannesburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Johannesburg costs $1,149 versus $1,151 in Pretoria. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Johannesburg. 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.