Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Rustenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustenburg: $797 a month against $1,279 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Rustenburg
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Rustenburg Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,279

/mo nomad

Rustenburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Rustenburg

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

A single person spends $1,279 per month in Pretoria vs $797 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Pretoria $1,279
Rustenburg $797

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Pretoria vs $1,316 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Pretoria $1,979
Rustenburg $1,316

A family of three spends $2,678 per month in Pretoria vs $1,834 in Rustenburg, rent included.

Pretoria $2,678
Rustenburg $1,834

Pretoria costs about 60% more than Rustenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pretoria and Rustenburg are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 6% lower, Rustenburg 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 R 155

$4.87 R 81.3

90.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 R 603

$45.11 R 754

-20.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 R 87.0

$6.22 R 104

-16.40%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 36.49

$1.66 R 27.75

31.33%

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

$1.03 R 17.20

$1.02 R 17.03

0.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 14.12

$0.50 R 8.38

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 R 43.68

$1.48 R 24.77

76.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 54.1

$2.13 R 35.57

52.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.53

$1.03 R 17.19

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.80

$0.90 R 15.00

25.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.61

$1.70 R 28.40

7.65%

Eggs

$2.40 R 40.06

$2.61 R 43.60

-8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 R 136

$7.57 R 127

7.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R 83.0

$5.04 R 84.3

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 R 123

$6.28 R 105

17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.44

$1.78 R 29.73

-4.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.92

$1.57 R 26.20

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.63

$1.80 R 30.00

-1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.13

$1.07 R 17.94

45.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.69

$1.31 R 21.94

-14.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.35

$1.08 R 18.12

12.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.44

$1.34 R 22.34

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 21.21

$0.86 R 14.34

47.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 R 53.0

$3.07 R 51.2

3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 R 82.6

$6.02 R 101

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 25.05

$0.59 R 9.80

154.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 32.00

$0.92 R 15.34

108.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 R 79.7

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,989

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.83

$0.81 R 13.60

-64.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 13.25

$0.89 R 14.86

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.24 R 238

$14.27 R 238

-0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.83

$1.45 R 24.16

6.90%

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

$35.0K R 584.6K

$31.6K R 527.3K

10.87%

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

$35.0K R 584.5K

$31.7K R 529.2K

10.45%

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

$148 R 2,480

$76.1 R 1,271

95.15%

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

$36.56 R 611

$13.47 R 225

171.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.12 R 603

$37.07 R 619

-2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.26 R 522

$38.12 R 637

-18.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 176

$6.11 R 102

72.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 R 122

$4.90 R 81.9

48.78%

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

$263 R 4,400

$110 R 1,842

138.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,829 R 130.8K

$5,453 R 91.1K

43.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 R 870

$41.73 R 697

24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.93 R 533

$44.31 R 740

-27.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 R 1,534

$112 R 1,863

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 R 1,373

$53.3 R 890

54.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 R 7,518

$336 R 5,614

33.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 6,003

$237 R 3,955

51.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 R 17.4K

$716 R 12.0K

45.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 R 12.3K

$515 R 8,609

42.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$869 R 14.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 R 11.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,386 R 23.2K

$1,065 R 17.8K

30.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.9

14.55%

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

Last update for Pretoria: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$359 28.1%

Rustenburg

$237 29.7% 34.1% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$221 17.3%

Rustenburg

$127 15.9% 42.7% $95

Getting Around

Pretoria

$202 15.8%

Rustenburg

$5.3 * 0.7% 97.4% $197

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$192 15%

Rustenburg

$173 21.7% 9.8% $19

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 11.2%

Rustenburg

$95 12% 33.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$116 9.1%

Rustenburg

$113 14.2% 2.8% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.6%

Rustenburg

$48 6% 4.6% $2.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Pretoria versus $336 in Rustenburg. 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 $36 in Pretoria versus $45 in Rustenburg. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Pretoria vs $173 in Rustenburg – so Rustenburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Rustenburg

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

549,575

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Pretoria Rustenburg 95 km

From you

Pretoria
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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 Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,919 per month in Pretoria and $1,196 in Rustenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rustenburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $450 in Pretoria.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,279 in Pretoria and $797 in Rustenburg. That makes Rustenburg about 38% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Pretoria and $110 in Rustenburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rustenburg, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Pretoria at $1,279. In Rustenburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rustenburg – 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 Rustenburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.