Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Knysna Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Knysna

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,377 per month in Pretoria vs $1,211 in Knysna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Pretoria vs $1,806 in Knysna, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Pretoria vs $2,401 in Knysna, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 14% more than Knysna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 1% above the global median, while Knysna is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 151

$9.91 R 161

-6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 618

$40.48 R 658

-6.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 92.8

$5.96 R 96.9

-4.19%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.28

$2.17 R 35.21

8.29%

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

$1.06 R 17.22

$1.08 R 17.59

-1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.35

$0.76 R 12.44

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.14

$2.33 R 37.89

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 51.7

$2.89 R 46.98

10.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.03

$1.20 R 19.52

2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.79

$1.05 R 17.02

10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.02

$1.49 R 24.18

24.16%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.36

$2.78 R 45.14

-8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 138

$8.88 R 144

-4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 82.4

$5.00 R 81.4

1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 118

$8.37 R 136

-13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.42

$1.64 R 26.67

14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.50

$1.54 R 25.03

5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.83

$1.62 R 26.42

12.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.85

$1.60 R 26.02

3.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.27

$1.73 R 28.21

-31.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.06

$1.43 R 23.32

-13.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.13

$1.26 R 20.45

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.12

$1.00 R 16.22

36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.1

$3.39 R 55.2

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 81.7

$5.03 R 81.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.04

$1.24 R 20.11

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.28

$1.53 R 24.85

25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 78.0

$1.51 R 24.61

217.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,903

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.28

$0.66 R 10.71

-51.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.65

$0.53 R 8.68

47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 237

$9.01 R 147

61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.96

$1.46 R 23.77

0.68%

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

$36.5K R 594.2K

$25.0K R 406.9K

46.03%

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

$34.0K R 552.9K

$29.3K R 476.9K

15.92%

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

$155 R 2,516

$116 R 1,883

33.60%

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

$37.47 R 609

$34.59 R 562

8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 615

$45.25 R 736

-16.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 516

$50.8 R 825

-37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 120

$8.70 R 142

-14.83%

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

$263 R 4,281

$187 R 3,042

40.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 131.5K

$5,937 R 96.5K

36.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 885

$43.04 R 700

26.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 536

$34.36 R 559

-4.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,514

$111 R 1,799

-15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,401

$76.6 R 1,246

12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,653

$530 R 8,612

-11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,791

$498 R 8,099

-16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.4K

$835 R 13.6K

20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.4K

$820 R 13.3K

-6.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.6K

$1,035 R 16.8K

-13.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.6K

$1,053 R 17.1K

-32.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.5K

$975 R 15.8K

48.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.83

-4.14%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for Knysna: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Pretoria versus $530 in Knysna. 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 49% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Pretoria versus $40.00 in Knysna. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pretoria vs $193 in Knysna – so Knysna 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 Knysna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,066 per month in Pretoria and $1,816 in Knysna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,377 in Pretoria and $1,211 in Knysna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Pretoria and $187 in Knysna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Knysna, where all-in costs run around $1,211, than in Pretoria at $1,377. In Knysna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Knysna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Knysna. 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.