Cost of Living Comparison Between Schio and Polokwane Cost of Living Comparison Between Schio and Polokwane

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Schio vs $841 in Polokwane, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,523 per month in Schio vs $1,285 in Polokwane, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,408 per month in Schio vs $1,728 in Polokwane, rent included.

Schio costs about 95% more than Polokwane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Schio sits 23% above the global median, while Polokwane is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 €12.12

$9.89 R 164

40.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 €60.4

$42.17 R 698

63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 €9.40

$4.90 R 81.1

119.39%

Cappuccino

$1.81 €1.59

$2.15 R 35.52

-15.81%

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

$2.51 €2.19

$0.80 R 13.25

213.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.75 R 12.44

50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 €4.47

$1.72 R 28.50

197.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.96

$1.99 R 32.92

127.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.14 R 18.91

40.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.95 R 15.65

145.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$1.71 R 28.34

70.76%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.15

$2.45 R 40.62

46.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.20 €14.18

$7.17 R 119

125.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 €10.81

$3.41 R 56.5

262.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.81 €16.46

$5.63 R 93.2

234.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.60 R 26.55

33.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.53 R 25.28

41.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.52 R 25.17

48.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.67 R 27.61

40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.51 R 25.02

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.24 R 20.45

30.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.04 R 17.22

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 €0.42

$0.78 R 12.83

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.92

$2.67 R 44.25

153.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.13

$4.77 R 78.9

46.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.08 R 17.83

34.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.28 R 21.23

60.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$3.17 R 52.6

-43.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.59 €38.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.90 €6.04

$0.83 R 13.68

731.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.93

$0.95 R 15.72

12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.37 €25.69

$4.00 R 66.3

634.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.20 R 19.79

70.00%

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

$31.9K €27.9K

$13.8K R 227.7K

131.84%

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

$38.8K €33.9K

$22.0K R 363.9K

76.49%

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

$171 €149

$120 R 1,987

42.29%

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

$13.28 €11.62

$40.02 R 662

-66.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.61 €25.91

$36.66 R 607

-19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 €55.1

$22.03 R 365

186.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.03 €20.15

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 €8.44

$7.34 R 121

31.34%

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

$515 €451

$171 R 2,833

201.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.1K

$1,368 R 22.7K

909.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 €70.4

$33.02 R 547

143.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 €32.58

$33.93 R 562

9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 €79.4

$73.7 R 1,220

23.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €129

$77.8 R 1,287

89.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 €655

$251 R 4,157

198.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 €514

$178 R 2,948

230.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 €1,073

$373 R 6,181

228.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 €807

$275 R 4,554

235.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,149 €2,755

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,754 €1,534

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 24.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

11.51

-58.73%

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

Last update for Schio: July 13, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Schio versus $251 in Polokwane. 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 $69.0 in Schio versus $42.00 in Polokwane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $163 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Schio vs Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schio costs about 95% more than Polokwane, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,456 per month in Schio and $1,262 in Polokwane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Schio and $42.00 in Polokwane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% more in Schio, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polokwane, where all-in costs run around $841, than in Schio at $1,638. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Schio it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Polokwane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.