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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,370 per month in Pretoria vs $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,090 per month in Pretoria vs $1,600 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Pretoria vs $2,129 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 28% more than Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 0% above the global median, while Pietermaritzburg is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 R 153

$7.92 R 126

20.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 R 631

$37.51 R 598

5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 R 88.0

$5.78 R 92.2

-4.50%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R 36.36

$2.44 R 38.96

-6.56%

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

$1.08 R 17.19

$1.21 R 19.29

-10.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.42

$1.02 R 16.33

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 42.28

$2.33 R 37.23

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 R 53.4

$2.61 R 41.71

28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.01

$1.38 R 22.00

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 17.78

$0.95 R 15.18

16.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.13

$1.79 R 28.52

5.59%

Eggs

$2.53 R 40.42

$3.33 R 53.1

-24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 R 137

$7.20 R 115

18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.99 R 79.6

$5.24 R 83.5

-4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 R 120

$6.93 R 111

8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R 30.69

$2.10 R 33.52

-8.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.44

$2.02 R 32.25

-17.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 28.64

$2.40 R 38.32

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.81

$2.05 R 32.74

-18.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.01

$1.79 R 28.53

-33.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.49

$1.81 R 28.91

-32.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 19.90

$1.59 R 25.34

-21.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.00

$1.11 R 17.67

24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 53.1

$3.27 R 52.1

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 R 81.8

$4.06 R 64.8

26.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R 24.67

$1.42 R 22.69

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 32.75

$1.84 R 29.42

11.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.73 R 75.4

$2.97 R 47.32

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$180 R 2,871

$19.96 R 318

801.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.14

$1.71 R 27.20

-81.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 12.70

$1.07 R 17.00

-25.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 R 242

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 24.47

$1.41 R 22.55

8.51%

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

$36.0K R 574.0K

$27.8K R 442.7K

29.67%

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

$35.4K R 565.1K

$27.6K R 440.1K

28.41%

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

$154 R 2,455

$210 R 3,351

-26.76%

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

$37.44 R 597

$32.58 R 520

14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 R 603

$38.29 R 611

-1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.04 R 527

$44.49 R 710

-25.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.86 R 173

$3.10 R 49.40

250.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 R 116

$4.88 R 77.8

48.57%

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

$267 R 4,254

$186 R 2,970

43.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 R 129.5K

$5,342 R 85.2K

51.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 R 874

$58.3 R 930

-6.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.45 R 518

$35.24 R 562

-7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 R 1,506

$120 R 1,915

-21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 R 1,358

$70.4 R 1,122

21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 R 7,595

$228 R 3,636

108.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 R 6,546

$227 R 3,616

81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 R 15.6K

$617 R 9,841

58.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R 12.3K

$424 R 6,763

82.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$905 R 14.4K

$6,128 R 97.7K

-85.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$719 R 11.5K

$152 R 2,428

372.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,417 R 22.6K

$1,090 R 17.4K

30.06%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Pretoria versus $228 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 30% 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 $40.00 in Pretoria versus $38.00 in Pietermaritzburg. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Pretoria vs $202 in Pietermaritzburg – so Pretoria 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: $1,370 in Pretoria, $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg – roughly 28% apart. Pretoria costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,054 per month in Pretoria and $1,608 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 $267 per month in Pretoria and $186 in Pietermaritzburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% 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 Pietermaritzburg, where all-in costs run around $1,072, than in Pretoria at $1,370. 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.