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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Pretoria vs $994 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,795 per month in Pretoria vs $1,590 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,417 per month in Pretoria vs $2,185 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 18% more than Mossel Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Pretoria and Mossel Bay are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 12% lower, Mossel Bay 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.17 R 137

$13.28 R 223

-38.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.21 R 574

$44.99 R 755

-23.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 R 79.0

$8.32 R 140

-43.39%

Cappuccino

$2.01 R 33.68

$2.35 R 39.36

-14.47%

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

$1.05 R 17.67

$1.24 R 20.77

-15.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.77

$0.95 R 15.85

-13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 37.11

$2.23 R 37.37

-0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 47.23

$2.81 R 47.20

0.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.99

$1.04 R 17.39

14.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 17.13

$1.04 R 17.52

-1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.61

$2.13 R 35.68

-22.54%

Eggs

$2.37 R 39.71

$2.92 R 48.89

-18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 R 130

$8.64 R 145

-10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 76.8

$4.73 R 79.3

-3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 R 107

$7.35 R 123

-13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.34

$1.64 R 27.46

3.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.81

$1.04 R 17.48

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.74

$1.44 R 24.17

10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.50

$1.92 R 32.24

-14.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.87

$1.89 R 31.76

-31.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.43

$1.60 R 26.78

-27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.26

$1.04 R 17.40

4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 18.65

$1.12 R 18.81

-0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 48.00

$3.43 R 57.5

-16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 84.5

$5.28 R 88.5

-4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 25.14

$1.45 R 24.37

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R 30.04

$2.46 R 41.17

-27.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 R 52.3

$1.66 R 27.91

87.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 R 1,064

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 R 23.73

$1.10 R 18.52

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 R 22.01

$1.10 R 18.51

19.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 R 50.6

$4.13 R 69.3

-26.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.95

$1.26 R 21.20

3.97%

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

$19.5K R 327.8K

$19.4K R 325.2K

0.80%

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

$26.2K R 440.2K

$19.8K R 331.5K

32.79%

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

$126 R 2,120

$87.2 R 1,462

45.03%

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

$38.00 R 637

$16.73 R 281

127.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.28 R 642

$39.94 R 670

-4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 R 545

$19.61 R 329

65.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 R 177

$13.48 R 226

-21.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 R 126

$6.81 R 114

10.43%

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

$196 R 3,288

$118 R 1,977

66.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,288 R 71.9K

$1,547 R 25.9K

177.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 R 857

$42.47 R 712

20.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 R 541

$21.41 R 359

50.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 R 1,471

$76.4 R 1,282

14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 R 1,462

$62.4 R 1,046

39.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R 6,640

$463 R 7,764

-14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 R 6,599

$336 R 5,632

17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 12.1K

$958 R 16.1K

-24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 R 12.9K

$627 R 10.5K

22.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$898 R 15.1K

$613 R 10.3K

46.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$700 R 11.7K

$614 R 10.3K

14.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,408 R 23.6K

$1,486 R 24.9K

-5.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

12.12

-3.55%

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

Last update for Pretoria: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mossel Bay: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Pretoria versus $463 in Mossel Bay. 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 6% higher in Mossel Bay, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Pretoria versus $45.00 in Mossel Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $192 – 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 Mossel Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,174 in Pretoria, $994 in Mossel Bay – roughly 18% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Pretoria and $1,491 in Mossel Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Pretoria and $45.00 in Mossel Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Pretoria – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mossel Bay, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Pretoria at $1,174. In Mossel Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mossel Bay – 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 Mossel Bay. 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.