Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Port Shepstone Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Port Shepstone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Pretoria versus $904 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Pretoria versus $1,404 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,417 in Pretoria versus $1,904 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 30% more expensive than Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pretoria 12% lower, Port Shepstone 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.17 R 137

$7.37 R 124

10.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.21 R 574

$27.68 R 464

23.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 R 79.0

$5.11 R 85.7

-7.83%

Cappuccino

$2.01 R 33.68

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

$1.05 R 17.67

$0.87 R 14.60

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.77

$0.67 R 11.25

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 37.11

$1.92 R 32.19

15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 47.23

$2.25 R 37.78

25.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.99

$0.86 R 14.50

38.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 17.13

$0.66 R 11.06

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.61

$1.09 R 18.27

51.38%

Eggs

$2.37 R 39.71

$1.32 R 22.19

79.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 R 130

$6.62 R 111

17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 76.8

$3.30 R 55.4

38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 R 107

$6.13 R 103

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.34

$1.10 R 18.48

53.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.81

$0.65 R 10.97

146.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.74

$0.54 R 9.13

194.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.50

$1.35 R 22.68

21.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.87

$0.59 R 9.84

120.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.43

$1.23 R 20.60

-5.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.26

$0.80 R 13.44

36.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 18.65

$0.54 R 9.04

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 48.00

$2.99 R 50.1

-4.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 84.5

$4.89 R 81.9

3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 25.14

$1.45 R 24.36

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R 30.04

$1.75 R 29.29

2.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 R 52.3

$1.60 R 26.85

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 R 1,064

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 R 23.73

$1.72 R 28.89

-18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 R 22.01

$0.63 R 10.54

107.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 R 50.6

$6.78 R 114

-55.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.95

$1.25 R 20.98

4.80%

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

$19.5K R 327.8K

$20.0K R 335.5K

-2.30%

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

$26.2K R 440.2K

$23.5K R 394.3K

11.62%

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

$126 R 2,120

$111 R 1,856

14.25%

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

$38.00 R 637

$16.57 R 278

129.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.28 R 642

$34.18 R 573

12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 R 545

$28.96 R 486

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 R 177

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 R 126

$6.73 R 113

11.74%

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

$196 R 3,288

$203 R 3,399

-3.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,288 R 71.9K

$4,660 R 78.1K

-7.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 R 857

$41.45 R 695

23.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 R 541

$30.45 R 511

5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 R 1,471

$95.3 R 1,597

-7.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 R 1,462

$71.5 R 1,199

21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R 6,640

$364 R 6,106

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 R 6,599

$335 R 5,621

17.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 12.1K

$698 R 11.7K

3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 R 12.9K

$679 R 11.4K

13.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$898 R 15.1K

$842 R 14.1K

6.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$700 R 11.7K

$680 R 11.4K

2.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,408 R 23.6K

$3,001 R 50.3K

-53.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

12.01

-2.66%

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

Last update for Pretoria: April 26, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Pretoria and $364 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Pretoria vs $28.00 in Port Shepstone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $132 per month, with Port Shepstone cheaper across the board.

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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Shepstone wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Pretoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Shepstone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Port Shepstone earns 113% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $396 in Pretoria versus $364 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Pretoria versus $203 in Port Shepstone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Shepstone – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $34.00 in Pretoria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $904 in Port Shepstone versus $1,174 in Pretoria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Shepstone but tight or insufficient in Pretoria. The gap between the two cities makes Port Shepstone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Port Shepstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.