Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Secunda and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Secunda: $1,027 a month against $1,339 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Secunda
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Secunda Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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Secunda

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,027

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Secunda 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 Secunda and in Pretoria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,027 per month in Secunda vs $1,339 in Pretoria, rent included.

Secunda $1,027
Pretoria $1,339

A couple spends around $1,667 per month in Secunda vs $2,036 in Pretoria, rent included.

Secunda $1,667
Pretoria $2,036

A family of three spends $2,306 per month in Secunda vs $2,733 in Pretoria, rent included.

Secunda $2,306
Pretoria $2,733

Secunda is about 23% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Secunda and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Secunda 24% lower, Pretoria 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 R 102

$9.04 R 149

-31.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.52 R 503

$37.60 R 619

-18.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 R 86.0

$5.44 R 89.6

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 37.42

$2.30 R 37.95

-1.30%

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

$0.81 R 13.38

$1.07 R 17.66

-24.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 R 8.33

$0.86 R 14.24

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 R 17.59

$2.57 R 42.38

-58.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.72

$3.44 R 56.7

-59.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.14

$1.20 R 19.79

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.33

$1.14 R 18.85

-23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.33

$1.86 R 30.70

-1.08%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.04

$2.43 R 39.96

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 R 141

$8.25 R 136

3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 R 80.4

$4.91 R 80.8

-0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.11 R 117

$7.15 R 118

-0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.78

$1.75 R 28.85

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.69

$1.66 R 27.37

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.60

$1.80 R 29.58

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.15

$1.57 R 25.87

5.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.50

$1.10 R 18.04

1.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.52

$1.18 R 19.38

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.38

$1.24 R 20.48

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.48

$1.29 R 21.24

0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 R 55.3

$3.27 R 53.9

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 82.6

$5.07 R 83.5

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R 25.21

$1.52 R 25.01

0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.66

$1.90 R 31.36

1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 R 22.65

$4.66 R 76.8

-70.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,957

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.74

$0.29 R 4.75

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.51

$0.81 R 13.31

-6.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.36 R 237

$14.57 R 240

-1.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.85

$1.56 R 25.71

0.64%

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

$35.7K R 587.4K

$36.6K R 602.4K

-2.49%

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

$35.5K R 584.4K

$35.2K R 579.9K

0.77%

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

$156 R 2,569

$153 R 2,521

1.92%

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

$38.00 R 626

$37.02 R 610

2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.12 R 612

$37.62 R 620

-1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.65 R 538

$32.21 R 531

1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 R 180

$10.68 R 176

2.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R 121

$7.10 R 117

3.24%

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

$91.7 R 1,510

$268 R 4,410

-65.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,457 R 89.9K

$8,081 R 133.1K

-32.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 R 895

$54.1 R 891

0.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 R 541

$32.75 R 540

0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 R 1,553

$92.3 R 1,520

2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 R 1,360

$84.6 R 1,394

-2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,638

$455 R 7,495

-11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R 5,336

$407 R 6,704

-20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 R 11.7K

$983 R 16.2K

-27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 R 13.8K

$765 R 12.6K

9.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$839 R 13.8K

$895 R 14.7K

-6.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 R 9,912

$716 R 11.8K

-15.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,466 R 24.2K

$1,417 R 23.3K

3.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Secunda: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Secunda

$324 31.5%

Pretoria

$407 30.4% 25.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Secunda

$231 22.5%

Pretoria

$228 17% 1.5% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Secunda

$191 18.6%

Pretoria

$193 14.4% 1% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Secunda

$119 11.6%

Pretoria

$119 8.9% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Secunda

$106 10.3%

Pretoria

$144 10.7% 35.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Secunda

$47 4.6%

Pretoria

$46 3.5% 1.9% $0.9

Getting Around

Secunda

$9.6 * 0.9%

Pretoria

$202 15.1% 2013% $193

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Secunda versus $455 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 3% higher in Secunda, 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 $31.00 in Secunda versus $38.00 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $193 – making Secunda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Secunda

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Secunda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,198

741,651 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Secunda Pretoria 130 km

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Secunda
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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

Secunda vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,541 per month in Secunda and $2,008 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Secunda, 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 $1,027 in Secunda and $1,339 in Pretoria. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $91.7 per month in Secunda and $268 in Pretoria. 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 Secunda, where all-in costs run around $1,027, than in Pretoria at $1,339. In Secunda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Secunda – 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 Secunda. 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.