Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Scottburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Scottburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,377 per month in Pretoria vs $1,084 in Scottburgh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Pretoria vs $1,663 in Scottburgh, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Pretoria vs $2,242 in Scottburgh, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 27% more than Scottburgh, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 1% above the global median, while Scottburgh is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 151

$7.87 R 128

18.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 618

$39.52 R 642

-3.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 92.7

$6.16 R 100

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.25

$2.88 R 46.77

-18.40%

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

$1.06 R 17.21

$1.12 R 18.18

-5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.33

$0.87 R 14.09

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.10

$2.51 R 40.85

5.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 51.7

$2.71 R 44.00

17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.02

$0.99 R 16.02

24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.77

$1.02 R 16.53

13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.99

$1.55 R 25.11

19.35%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.32

$2.45 R 39.77

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 138

$8.38 R 136

1.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 82.3

$3.10 R 50.3

63.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 118

$6.09 R 99.0

18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.40

$0.64 R 10.44

192.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.93 R 15.09

75.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.80

$0.91 R 14.82

101.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.83

$1.03 R 16.81

60.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.25

$0.65 R 10.49

83.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.04

$1.45 R 23.54

-15.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.11

$0.49 R 7.95

153.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.10

$0.65 R 10.49

109.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.1

$3.07 R 49.86

6.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 81.7

$3.21 R 52.1

56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.01

$1.52 R 24.69

1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.25

$1.99 R 32.39

-3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 77.9

$1.52 R 24.66

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,900

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.27

$0.45 R 7.30

-28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.64

$0.78 R 12.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 237

$7.67 R 125

89.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.94

$1.48 R 24.05

-0.68%

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

$36.5K R 593.6K

$36.8K R 597.9K

-0.72%

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

$34.0K R 552.4K

$33.1K R 537.7K

2.74%

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

$155 R 2,513

$144 R 2,342

7.31%

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

$37.47 R 609

$34.89 R 567

7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 614

$41.39 R 672

-8.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 516

$33.64 R 546

-5.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 120

$6.93 R 113

6.93%

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

$263 R 4,277

$335 R 5,442

-21.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 131.4K

$7,911 R 128.5K

2.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 884

$56.6 R 919

-3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 536

$30.59 R 497

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,513

$99.1 R 1,610

-6.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,400

$89.6 R 1,455

-3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,645

$431 R 7,009

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,785

$379 R 6,157

10.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.4K

$811 R 13.2K

24.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.4K

$766 R 12.4K

-0.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.6K

$879 R 14.3K

2.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.6K

$679 R 11.0K

5.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.81

-3.98%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for Scottburgh: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Pretoria versus $431 in Scottburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Pretoria versus $40.00 in Scottburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pretoria vs $145 in Scottburgh – so Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,066 per month in Pretoria and $1,625 in Scottburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,377 in Pretoria and $1,084 in Scottburgh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Pretoria and $335 in Scottburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Scottburgh, where all-in costs run around $1,084, than in Pretoria at $1,377. In Scottburgh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Scottburgh – 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 Scottburgh. 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.