Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Polokwane

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $959 a month against $1,328 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
Learn more

Pretoria Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
Learn more

Polokwane Living Index

Jump to prices

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,328

/mo nomad

Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Polokwane

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 Polokwane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,328 per month in Pretoria vs $959 in Polokwane, rent included.

Pretoria $1,328
Polokwane $959

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Pretoria vs $1,417 in Polokwane, rent included.

Pretoria $2,017
Polokwane $1,417

A family of three spends $2,707 per month in Pretoria vs $1,875 in Polokwane, rent included.

Pretoria $2,707
Polokwane $1,875

Pretoria costs about 38% more than Polokwane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pretoria and Polokwane are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 2% lower, Polokwane 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 R 149

$12.24 R 202

-26.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.37 R 616

$29.66 R 489

25.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 R 87.0

$7.46 R 123

-29.22%

Cappuccino

$2.33 R 38.34

$2.38 R 39.26

-2.10%

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

$1.09 R 17.89

$0.77 R 12.68

41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.72

$0.88 R 14.47

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.58

$1.68 R 27.65

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.5

$1.88 R 30.95

72.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.62

$1.32 R 21.71

-9.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.63

$1.08 R 17.82

4.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.17

$1.70 R 28.03

4.12%

Eggs

$2.55 R 42.00

$2.65 R 43.69

-3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 R 135

$7.84 R 129

4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R 79.5

$4.59 R 75.6

5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 R 123

$6.04 R 99.6

23.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.22

$2.01 R 33.19

-14.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.46

$1.85 R 30.53

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.30

$1.81 R 29.80

-1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.66

$1.96 R 32.30

-17.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.54

$1.67 R 27.49

-32.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.39

$1.50 R 24.73

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.33

$1.12 R 18.48

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.97

$0.82 R 13.46

62.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 R 52.4

$2.68 R 44.22

18.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 82.6

$4.87 R 80.2

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.28

$1.15 R 18.88

38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.65

$1.61 R 26.54

19.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 R 79.2

$0.92 R 15.22

422.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$176 R 2,893

$30.03 R 495

484.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.19

$0.87 R 14.41

-64.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R 12.40

$0.95 R 15.66

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.28 R 235

$14.36 R 237

-0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 25.03

$1.43 R 23.52

6.29%

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

$35.1K R 578.0K

$26.1K R 430.1K

34.40%

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

$33.3K R 549.0K

$28.5K R 469.0K

17.05%

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

$152 R 2,505

$138 R 2,281

9.81%

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

$36.95 R 609

$38.10 R 628

-3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.42 R 617

$32.99 R 544

13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 R 516

$23.29 R 384

34.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.27 R 169

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R 123

$8.00 R 132

-6.75%

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

$261 R 4,300

$179 R 2,946

45.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,812 R 128.7K

$1,452 R 23.9K

438.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 R 886

$45.30 R 746

18.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.62 R 521

$37.73 R 622

-16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 R 1,549

$80.6 R 1,328

16.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 R 1,383

$93.7 R 1,544

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 R 7,514

$290 R 4,785

57.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R 6,610

$203 R 3,338

98.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 R 16.2K

$420 R 6,922

133.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 R 12.3K

$284 R 4,683

163.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$875 R 14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R 11.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 R 23.4K

$1,343 R 22.1K

5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.91

3.94%

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

Last update for Pretoria: October 12, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$401 30.2%

Polokwane

$203 21.1% 49.5% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$226 17.1%

Polokwane

$210 21.8% 7.5% $17

Getting Around

Pretoria

$199 15%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 80.2% $160

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$193 14.6%

Polokwane

$185 19.3% 4.2% $8

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 10.8%

Polokwane

$168 17.5% 16.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$119 8.9%

Polokwane

$116 12.1% 2.3% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.5%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 15% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $456 in Pretoria versus $290 in Polokwane. 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 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 $37.00 in Pretoria versus $30.00 in Polokwane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $185 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

628,999

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pretoria Polokwane 240 km

From you

Pretoria
Polokwane

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 38% more than Polokwane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,992 per month in Pretoria and $1,439 in Polokwane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $261 per month in Pretoria and $179 in Polokwane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polokwane, where all-in costs run around $959, than in Pretoria at $1,328. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – 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 Polokwane. 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.