Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,279 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,279

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Pietermaritzburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pretoria and in Pietermaritzburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,279 per month in Pretoria vs $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Pretoria $1,279
Pietermaritzburg $1,033

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Pretoria vs $1,555 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Pretoria $1,979
Pietermaritzburg $1,555

A family of three spends $2,678 per month in Pretoria vs $2,077 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Pretoria $2,678
Pietermaritzburg $2,077

Pretoria costs about 24% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 6% lower, Pietermaritzburg 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 R 155

$7.74 R 129

19.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 R 601

$35.63 R 594

1.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 R 86.7

$5.80 R 96.6

-10.34%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 36.39

$2.36 R 39.27

-7.63%

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

$1.03 R 17.16

$1.16 R 19.40

-11.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 14.08

$1.03 R 17.15

-17.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 R 43.57

$2.15 R 35.77

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 54.0

$2.51 R 41.75

29.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.48

$1.33 R 22.16

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.75

$0.92 R 15.33

22.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.53

$1.70 R 28.31

7.65%

Eggs

$2.40 R 39.95

$3.16 R 52.7

-24.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 R 136

$7.22 R 120

13.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R 82.8

$4.94 R 82.3

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 R 123

$6.36 R 106

16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.37

$2.04 R 34.00

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.85

$1.94 R 32.28

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.55

$2.32 R 38.74

-23.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.06

$2.03 R 33.90

-23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.64

$1.78 R 29.68

-37.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.29

$1.81 R 30.09

-32.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.39

$1.49 R 24.78

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 21.15

$1.04 R 17.28

22.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 R 52.9

$3.14 R 52.3

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 R 82.3

$3.92 R 65.4

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.98

$1.42 R 23.70

5.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.92

$1.75 R 29.20

9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 R 79.5

$2.86 R 47.70

66.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,981

$19.71 R 328

807.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.82

$1.59 R 26.52

-81.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 13.21

$1.06 R 17.69

-25.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.24 R 237

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.76

$1.44 R 23.96

7.64%

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

$35.0K R 583.0K

$26.5K R 442.3K

31.81%

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

$35.0K R 583.0K

$26.8K R 446.3K

30.63%

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

$148 R 2,473

$205 R 3,416

-27.58%

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

$36.56 R 609

$32.46 R 541

12.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.12 R 602

$37.19 R 620

-2.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.26 R 521

$43.80 R 730

-28.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 176

$3.05 R 50.9

246.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 R 121

$4.84 R 80.6

50.62%

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

$263 R 4,388

$177 R 2,949

48.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,829 R 130.5K

$5,103 R 85.0K

53.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 R 868

$56.7 R 945

-8.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.93 R 532

$34.35 R 572

-7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 R 1,530

$114 R 1,897

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 R 1,369

$69.9 R 1,165

17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 R 7,498

$216 R 3,606

107.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 5,988

$217 R 3,613

65.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 R 17.3K

$576 R 9,598

80.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 R 12.3K

$405 R 6,753

81.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$869 R 14.5K

$5,914 R 98.5K

-85.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 R 11.1K

$148 R 2,470

348.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,386 R 23.1K

$1,058 R 17.6K

31.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.67

-2.83%

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

Last update for Pretoria: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$359 28.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21% 39.7% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$221 17.3%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6% 24.2% $53

Getting Around

Pretoria

$202 15.8%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 81.2% $164

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$192 15%

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8% 1.5% $2.9

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 11.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 7.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$116 9.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12% 6.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.6%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2% 16.7% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Pretoria versus $216 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 31% higher in Pretoria. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Pretoria versus $36 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $194 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

618,536

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,279 in Pretoria, $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,919 per month in Pretoria and $1,550 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $450 in Pretoria.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Pretoria and $177 in Pietermaritzburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,279 in Pretoria and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a gap of about 24%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,279 in Pretoria and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Pietermaritzburg. 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.