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: $1,168 in Pretoria versus $908 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,765 in Pretoria versus $1,414 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Pretoria versus $1,919 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Pretoria is roughly 29% 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

$8.38 R 136

$7.60 R 123

10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 R 546

$28.07 R 454

20.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 R 74.9

$4.92 R 79.6

-5.89%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 33.94

$1.98 R 32.07

6.06%

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

$1.05 R 17.04

$0.88 R 14.18

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.23

$0.72 R 11.60

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 37.28

$2.01 R 32.57

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 R 46.19

$2.20 R 35.56

29.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.31

$0.81 R 13.15

46.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.13

$0.62 R 10.01

70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.17

$1.10 R 17.84

47.27%

Eggs

$2.39 R 38.74

$1.32 R 21.37

81.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 R 127

$6.92 R 112

13.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 R 73.7

$3.37 R 54.6

35.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 R 102

$6.30 R 102

-0.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.55

$1.11 R 17.89

47.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.15

$0.70 R 11.37

131.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.01

$0.54 R 8.69

209.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.23

$1.29 R 20.88

30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.11

$0.54 R 8.73

153.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.71

$1.21 R 19.65

0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.70

$0.80 R 12.98

36.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.14

$0.57 R 9.25

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 46.33

$3.02 R 48.93

-5.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.5

$4.83 R 78.2

6.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.37

$1.40 R 22.64

7.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R 28.94

$1.76 R 28.47

1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 R 51.0

$1.67 R 27.06

88.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 R 1,036

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.18

$1.65 R 26.72

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 R 22.24

$0.62 R 10.09

120.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 R 51.2

$6.77 R 110

-53.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.50

$1.30 R 21.01

-2.31%

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

$19.2K R 311.1K

$20.2K R 327.5K

-5.00%

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

$25.6K R 415.2K

$23.2K R 375.2K

10.65%

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

$124 R 2,004

$112 R 1,806

10.94%

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

$37.32 R 604

$16.49 R 267

126.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 R 623

$33.73 R 546

14.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 R 516

$29.54 R 478

7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 R 169

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 120

$6.87 R 111

7.57%

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

$197 R 3,181

$207 R 3,346

-4.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,311 R 69.8K

$4,620 R 74.8K

-6.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 832

$42.23 R 684

21.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.60 R 511

$30.18 R 489

4.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 R 1,397

$95.2 R 1,541

-9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 R 1,407

$73.0 R 1,182

18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 R 6,422

$362 R 5,864

9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 R 6,288

$339 R 5,490

14.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.7K

$686 R 11.1K

5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 R 12.1K

$684 R 11.1K

9.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$910 R 14.7K

$950 R 15.4K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 R 11.4K

$697 R 11.3K

1.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,480 R 23.9K

$3,037 R 49.2K

-51.28%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $397 in Pretoria and $362 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 105% 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 $182 vs $133 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 29% 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 105% 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: $397 in Pretoria versus $362 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Pretoria versus $207 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 $908 in Port Shepstone versus $1,168 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 29% less than in Pretoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.