Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,151 per month in Pretoria vs $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,764 per month in Pretoria vs $1,592 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,377 per month in Pretoria vs $2,133 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 9% more than Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 14% lower, Pietermaritzburg 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 R 135

$7.92 R 131

3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.02 R 545

$43.07 R 711

-23.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 R 80.8

$5.57 R 92.0

-12.03%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 35.07

$2.14 R 35.27

-0.93%

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

$1.02 R 16.91

$0.93 R 15.28

9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.39

$0.70 R 11.56

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R 37.46

$1.64 R 26.98

38.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 R 45.98

$2.42 R 39.96

15.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.58

$1.04 R 17.20

14.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.85

$0.82 R 13.51

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.78

$1.52 R 25.05

2.63%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.45

$2.28 R 37.58

7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 R 126

$7.26 R 120

5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 R 77.7

$4.66 R 76.9

1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 R 106

$7.06 R 117

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.87

$1.60 R 26.33

1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.20

$1.69 R 27.85

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.58

$1.93 R 31.82

-16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.23

$1.73 R 28.58

-4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.78

$1.53 R 25.20

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.82

$1.75 R 28.88

-31.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 R 18.72

$1.23 R 20.38

-8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.98

$0.91 R 14.95

26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 R 47.03

$2.89 R 47.71

-1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.32 R 87.9

$4.02 R 66.3

32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.17

$1.40 R 23.08

13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.72

$1.78 R 29.38

4.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 R 51.4

$2.64 R 43.62

17.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 R 1,074

$18.28 R 302

256.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.83

$1.71 R 28.16

-19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 R 22.46

$0.52 R 8.61

161.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 R 50.0

$4.13 R 68.1

-26.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.49

$1.21 R 20.04

7.44%

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

$19.1K R 315.3K

$23.7K R 391.0K

-19.38%

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

$25.9K R 426.6K

$22.8K R 376.9K

13.19%

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

$126 R 2,086

$232 R 3,822

-45.43%

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

$36.89 R 609

$30.00 R 495

22.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.13 R 629

$58.2 R 960

-34.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.17 R 531

$38.55 R 636

-16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 174

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R 128

$5.11 R 84.3

51.27%

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

$200 R 3,309

$151 R 2,489

32.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,263 R 70.4K

$4,784 R 78.9K

-10.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 R 832

$62.6 R 1,033

-19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 R 529

$38.00 R 627

-15.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 R 1,421

$180 R 2,967

-52.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 R 1,475

$74.3 R 1,226

20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,583

$205 R 3,383

94.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 R 6,626

$188 R 3,105

113.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 R 12.1K

$511 R 8,438

43.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 R 12.8K

$383 R 6,319

102.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$877 R 14.5K

$3,624 R 59.8K

-75.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 R 11.8K

$447 R 7,383

59.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,482 R 24.5K

$1,071 R 17.7K

38.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

11.5

1.65%

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

Last update for Pretoria: July 11, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $399 in Pretoria versus $205 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 38% 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 $33.00 in Pretoria versus $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Pretoria vs $177 in Pietermaritzburg – so Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,151 in Pretoria, $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg – roughly 9% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,726 per month in Pretoria and $1,578 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $200 per month in Pretoria and $151 in Pietermaritzburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pietermaritzburg, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Pretoria at $1,151. In Pietermaritzburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.