Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandton and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandton: $1,235 a month against $1,279 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. The total is higher in Pretoria despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sandton
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Sandton Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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Sandton

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,235

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandton and in Pretoria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sandton and in Pretoria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sandton vs $1,279 in Pretoria, rent included.

Sandton $1,235
Pretoria $1,279

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

Sandton $1,888
Pretoria $1,979

A family of three spends $2,540 per month in Sandton vs $2,678 in Pretoria, rent included.

Sandton $2,540
Pretoria $2,678

Sandton is about 3% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sandton and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Sandton 9% lower, Pretoria 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.73 R 179

$9.28 R 155

15.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.71 R 763

$36.09 R 602

26.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 R 93.9

$5.20 R 86.9

8.08%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 40.76

$2.18 R 36.45

11.93%

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

$1.07 R 17.83

$1.03 R 17.19

3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.94

$0.85 R 14.11

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 R 40.97

$2.61 R 43.65

-6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 R 49.65

$3.24 R 54.1

-8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 20.05

$1.17 R 19.52

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.84

$1.13 R 18.79

-5.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.33

$1.83 R 30.58

-3.83%

Eggs

$2.72 R 45.45

$2.40 R 40.02

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 R 148

$8.16 R 136

8.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 R 81.2

$4.97 R 83.0

-2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 R 118

$7.38 R 123

-4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.86

$1.70 R 28.42

22.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R 29.22

$1.61 R 26.89

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 29.13

$1.77 R 29.60

-1.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.13

$1.56 R 26.11

16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.11

$1.12 R 18.67

33.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.71

$1.22 R 20.33

45.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.47

$1.22 R 20.43

0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.65

$1.27 R 21.19

2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R 52.8

$3.17 R 53.0

-0.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 103

$4.94 R 82.5

25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R 25.94

$1.50 R 25.03

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.60

$1.92 R 31.97

-1.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 R 79.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,986

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.83

$0.29 R 4.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.62

$0.79 R 13.24

11.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.21 R 237

$14.24 R 238

-0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.92

$1.55 R 25.81

-3.87%

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

$36.0K R 601.2K

$35.0K R 584.1K

2.93%

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

$34.0K R 567.0K

$35.0K R 584.0K

-2.91%

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

$165 R 2,760

$148 R 2,478

11.39%

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

$38.25 R 639

$36.56 R 610

4.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.39 R 624

$36.12 R 603

3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.75 R 613

$31.26 R 522

17.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 176

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R 119

$7.29 R 122

-2.61%

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

$266 R 4,441

$263 R 4,396

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,302 R 121.9K

$7,829 R 130.7K

-6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 R 997

$52.1 R 870

14.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 R 755

$31.93 R 533

41.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 R 1,584

$91.8 R 1,533

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 R 1,492

$82.2 R 1,372

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 R 9,015

$450 R 7,511

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 R 7,475

$359 R 5,998

24.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 R 16.2K

$1,040 R 17.4K

-6.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 R 14.1K

$735 R 12.3K

14.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$842 R 14.1K

$869 R 14.5K

-3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$733 R 12.2K

$664 R 11.1K

10.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,865 R 31.1K

$1,386 R 23.1K

34.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-3.00%

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

Last update for Sandton: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandton

$448 36.3%

Pretoria

$359 28.1% 19.8% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandton

$241 19.5%

Pretoria

$221 17.3% 8.2% $20

Groceries & Markets

Sandton

$202 16.4%

Pretoria

$192 15% 5.2% $11

Eating Out

Sandton

$158 12.8%

Pretoria

$143 11.2% 9.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Sandton

$130 10.5%

Pretoria

$116 9.1% 10.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sandton

$51 4.1%

Pretoria

$46 3.6% 10% $5.1

Getting Around

Sandton

$4.7 * 0.4%

Pretoria

$202 15.8% 4231% $198

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $540 in Sandton versus $450 in Pretoria. 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 35% higher in Sandton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Sandton versus $36 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $192 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Sandton

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

Same time as Sandton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,415

741,651 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sandton Pretoria 42 km

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Sandton
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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

Sandton vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sandton and $1,919 in Pretoria. 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 $540 in Sandton.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,235 in Sandton and $1,279 in Pretoria. That makes Sandton about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $266 per month in Sandton and $263 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,235 in Sandton and $1,279 in Pretoria. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Sandton has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,235 in Sandton to $1,279 in Pretoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.