Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Upington Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Upington

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,377 per month in Pretoria vs $1,151 in Upington, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Pretoria vs $1,772 in Upington, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Pretoria vs $2,393 in Upington, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 20% more than Upington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 1% above the global median, while Upington is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 151

$12.34 R 200

-24.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 618

$38.26 R 622

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 92.7

$6.03 R 98.0

-5.31%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.25

$1.79 R 29.03

31.28%

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

$1.06 R 17.21

$1.08 R 17.48

-1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.33

$0.76 R 12.30

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.10

$1.71 R 27.81

54.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 51.7

$2.88 R 46.81

10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.02

$0.98 R 15.92

25.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.77

$1.22 R 19.89

-4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.99

$1.79 R 29.07

3.35%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.32

$2.73 R 44.40

-6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 138

$8.72 R 142

-2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 82.3

$5.37 R 87.2

-5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 118

$7.70 R 125

-5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.40

$1.86 R 30.29

0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.48

$1.73 R 28.06

-5.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.80

$1.78 R 28.96

2.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.83

$1.65 R 26.75

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.25

$1.55 R 25.21

-23.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.04

$1.48 R 24.10

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.11

$1.23 R 19.98

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.10

$1.19 R 19.31

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.1

$2.88 R 46.86

13.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 81.7

$3.86 R 62.7

30.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.01

$1.49 R 24.13

3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.25

$1.99 R 32.41

-3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 77.9

$1.55 R 25.17

209.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,900

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.27

$0.65 R 10.59

-50.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.64

$0.98 R 15.94

-20.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 237

$8.82 R 143

65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.94

$1.45 R 23.55

1.38%

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

$36.5K R 593.6K

$36.4K R 592.1K

0.26%

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

$34.0K R 552.4K

$32.4K R 526.6K

4.88%

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

$155 R 2,513

$145 R 2,357

6.63%

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

$37.47 R 609

$35.82 R 582

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 614

$39.31 R 639

-3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 516

$32.77 R 532

-3.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 120

$7.62 R 124

-2.76%

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

$263 R 4,277

$255 R 4,149

3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 131.4K

$5,694 R 92.5K

42.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 884

$54.8 R 890

-0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 536

$34.06 R 553

-3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,513

$108 R 1,754

-13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,400

$95.2 R 1,546

-9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,645

$435 R 7,062

8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,785

$381 R 6,191

9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.4K

$614 R 9,980

63.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.4K

$778 R 12.6K

-1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.6K

$901 R 14.6K

-0.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.6K

$700 R 11.4K

1.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.5K

$813 R 13.2K

78.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.38

-0.35%

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

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for Upington: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Pretoria versus $435 in Upington. 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 78% 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 $38.00 in Pretoria versus $38.00 in Upington. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pretoria vs $197 in Upington – so Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 20%, 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 $1,727 in Upington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upington, 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 $1,151 in Upington. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Pretoria and $255 in Upington. 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 Upington, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Pretoria at $1,377. In Upington it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Upington – 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 Upington. 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.