Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,160 a month against $1,279 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Pretoria despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index

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Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,279

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pretoria and in Somerset West

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

A single person spends $1,279 per month in Pretoria vs $1,160 in Somerset West, rent included.

Pretoria $1,279
Somerset West $1,160

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Pretoria vs $1,888 in Somerset West, rent included.

Pretoria $1,979
Somerset West $1,888

A family of three spends $2,678 per month in Pretoria vs $2,615 in Somerset West, rent included.

Pretoria $2,678
Somerset West $2,615

Pretoria costs about 10% more than Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pretoria and Somerset West are more affordable than the global median – Pretoria 6% lower, Somerset West 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 R 155

$12.23 R 204

-24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 R 601

$45.52 R 759

-20.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 R 86.7

$5.44 R 90.7

-4.41%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R 36.39

$2.06 R 34.34

5.83%

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

$1.03 R 17.16

$1.06 R 17.74

-2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 14.08

$0.84 R 14.01

1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 R 43.57

$2.58 R 42.91

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 54.0

$3.27 R 54.5

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.48

$1.03 R 17.13

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.75

$0.98 R 16.39

15.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.53

$2.08 R 34.70

-12.02%

Eggs

$2.40 R 39.95

$2.28 R 38.00

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 R 136

$8.34 R 139

-2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R 82.8

$5.18 R 86.3

-4.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 R 123

$9.22 R 154

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.37

$1.81 R 30.23

-6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.85

$1.89 R 31.47

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.55

$1.74 R 29.00

1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.06

$1.69 R 28.20

-7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.64

$1.51 R 25.23

-25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.29

$1.53 R 25.48

-20.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 20.39

$1.29 R 21.42

-5.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 21.15

$1.07 R 17.80

18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 R 52.9

$3.39 R 56.5

-6.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 R 82.3

$5.89 R 98.1

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.98

$1.36 R 22.73

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.92

$1.75 R 29.17

9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 R 79.5

$1.11 R 18.47

329.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,981

$60.4 R 1,007

196.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.82

$0.59 R 9.81

-50.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 13.21

$1.54 R 25.72

-48.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.24 R 237

$4.94 R 82.4

188.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.76

$1.42 R 23.68

9.15%

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

$35.0K R 583.0K

$29.3K R 487.5K

19.59%

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

$35.0K R 583.0K

$29.4K R 489.1K

19.18%

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

$148 R 2,473

$82.1 R 1,368

80.86%

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

$36.56 R 609

$29.05 R 484

25.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.12 R 602

$40.47 R 674

-10.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.26 R 521

$44.16 R 736

-29.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 176

$10.43 R 174

1.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 R 121

$7.28 R 121

0.14%

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

$263 R 4,388

$251 R 4,175

5.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,829 R 130.5K

$3,596 R 59.9K

117.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 R 868

$30.99 R 516

68.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.93 R 532

$31.32 R 522

1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 R 1,530

$71.3 R 1,189

28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 R 1,369

$56.3 R 939

45.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 R 7,498

$643 R 10.7K

-29.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 5,988

$426 R 7,095

-15.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 R 17.3K

$1,341 R 22.3K

-22.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 R 12.3K

$937 R 15.6K

-21.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$869 R 14.5K

$1,221 R 20.3K

-28.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 R 11.1K

$892 R 14.9K

-25.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,386 R 23.1K

$1,418 R 23.6K

-2.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.12

12.06%

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

Last update for Pretoria: October 25, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pretoria

$359 28.1%

Somerset West

$426 36.7% 18.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pretoria

$221 17.3%

Somerset West

$152 13.1% 31.4% $70

Getting Around

Pretoria

$202 15.8%

Somerset West

$73 6.3% 63.8% $129

Groceries & Markets

Pretoria

$192 15%

Somerset West

$200 17.2% 4.2% $8.1

Eating Out

Pretoria

$143 11.2%

Somerset West

$166 14.3% 16% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Pretoria

$116 9.1%

Somerset West

$86 7.4% 26.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pretoria

$46 3.6%

Somerset West

$59 5.1% 28.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Pretoria versus $643 in Somerset West. 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 $36 in Pretoria versus $46 in Somerset West. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $200 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

Same time as Pretoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

741,651 Capital

55,166

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pretoria Somerset West 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Pretoria
Somerset West

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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,740 in Somerset West. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pretoria, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $450 there versus $643 in Somerset West.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Somerset West. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Pretoria and $251 in Somerset West. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,279 in Pretoria and $1,160 in Somerset West, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Somerset West has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,160 in Somerset West to $1,279 in Pretoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.