Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Margate Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Margate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Pretoria versus $900 in Margate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,091 in Pretoria versus $1,460 in Margate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,804 in Pretoria versus $2,020 in Margate.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 53% more expensive than in Margate, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pretoria is 0% above, Margate is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 R 150

$7.84 R 125

19.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.72 R 620

$37.39 R 598

3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 R 90.9

$6.20 R 99.2

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R 36.52

$1.87 R 29.90

21.93%

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

$1.08 R 17.28

$1.07 R 17.14

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 13.89

$0.85 R 13.65

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 R 42.72

$2.46 R 39.35

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 R 53.5

$2.35 R 37.63

42.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.26

$1.02 R 16.25

24.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 R 18.72

$0.96 R 15.29

21.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.60

$1.16 R 18.49

59.48%

Eggs

$2.60 R 41.66

$2.47 R 39.59

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$5.21 R 83.4

60.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 R 79.8

$3.46 R 55.3

43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 R 121

$6.01 R 96.1

25.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.61

$1.24 R 19.89

54.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.69

$1.22 R 19.49

36.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.45

$1.10 R 17.56

61.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.85

$1.50 R 24.04

12.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R 18.60

$1.06 R 16.98

9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 18.96

$1.37 R 21.91

-13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.12

$1.18 R 18.92

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.22

$1.01 R 16.23

31.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 R 52.9

$1.74 R 27.78

90.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 82.9

$3.73 R 59.6

38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 25.40

$1.45 R 23.21

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 32.74

$1.89 R 30.29

8.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 R 76.0

$1.53 R 24.49

210.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 R 2,993

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.72

$0.49 R 7.81

-40.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R 13.36

$0.72 R 11.44

15.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.81 R 237

$7.83 R 125

89.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 24.84

$1.39 R 22.25

11.51%

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

$36.4K R 582.6K

$36.5K R 584.1K

-0.25%

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

$35.2K R 563.4K

$33.0K R 528.1K

6.67%

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

$160 R 2,564

$61.5 R 984

160.45%

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

$38.55 R 617

$18.61 R 298

107.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.82 R 605

$34.81 R 557

8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.38 R 534

$32.77 R 524

1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 175

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 117

$4.32 R 69.0

69.68%

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

$270 R 4,314

$332 R 5,319

-18.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,992 R 127.9K

$7,836 R 125.4K

1.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 R 886

$56.3 R 901

-1.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 R 524

$18.52 R 296

76.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 R 1,547

$76.0 R 1,216

27.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 R 1,373

$50.7 R 811

69.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 R 7,465

$432 R 6,913

7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 6,787

$382 R 6,119

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 R 16.3K

$817 R 13.1K

24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 12.6K

$781 R 12.5K

0.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 R 14.4K

$877 R 14.0K

2.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.4K

$681 R 10.9K

4.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,454 R 23.3K

$1,538 R 24.6K

-5.48%

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 Margate: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Pretoria and $432 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Margate pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Pretoria vs $37.00 in Margate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $152 per month, with Margate 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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margate wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Pretoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margate the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Margate. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $467 in Pretoria versus $432 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Pretoria versus $332 in Margate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Margate – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $39.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $900 in Margate versus $1,379 in Pretoria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Margate but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Margate 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 Margate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.