Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soweto and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Soweto: $1,115 a month against $1,278 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Pretoria despite lower rent and utilities.

52

Cost of Living Index in Soweto
Learn more

Soweto Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
Learn more

Pretoria Living Index

Jump to prices

Soweto

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,115

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,115 per month in Soweto vs $1,278 in Pretoria, rent included.

Soweto $1,115
Pretoria $1,278

A couple spends around $1,661 per month in Soweto vs $1,980 in Pretoria, rent included.

Soweto $1,661
Pretoria $1,980

A family of three spends $2,207 per month in Soweto vs $2,683 in Pretoria, rent included.

Soweto $2,207
Pretoria $2,683

Soweto is about 13% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Soweto and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Soweto 18% lower, Pretoria 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 R 144

$8.90 R 146

-1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.51 R 601

$36.92 R 607

-1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 R 87.7

$5.30 R 87.1

0.57%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.75

$2.29 R 37.71

-5.24%

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

$1.08 R 17.74

$1.06 R 17.45

1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 13.93

$0.86 R 14.08

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 R 38.50

$2.34 R 38.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R 44.03

$3.42 R 56.2

-21.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R 18.61

$1.13 R 18.65

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.94

$1.14 R 18.72

-4.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.26

$1.83 R 30.12

-2.73%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.85

$2.41 R 39.71

5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 R 136

$8.44 R 139

-2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 R 85.2

$5.00 R 82.3

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 R 119

$7.41 R 122

-2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.62

$1.79 R 29.49

0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.74

$1.68 R 27.67

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.57

$1.78 R 29.26

1.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.86

$1.58 R 26.01

3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.73

$1.08 R 17.74

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.15

$1.18 R 19.43

-1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 19.96

$1.18 R 19.37

2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.66

$1.29 R 21.16

2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.6

$3.27 R 53.8

1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.6

$5.17 R 85.1

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 R 26.00

$1.55 R 25.53

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 30.98

$1.88 R 30.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 R 31.74

$4.59 R 75.5

-57.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$181 R 2,983

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.16

$0.31 R 5.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 13.12

$0.79 R 13.01

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.69 R 242

$14.73 R 242

-0.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 24.93

$1.53 R 25.16

-0.65%

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

$35.5K R 584.2K

$35.7K R 587.8K

-0.61%

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

$34.7K R 571.6K

$35.1K R 577.4K

-1.01%

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

$153 R 2,519

$150 R 2,466

2.17%

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

$36.76 R 605

$36.66 R 603

0.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.23 R 612

$36.73 R 604

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.03 R 576

$31.99 R 526

9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 R 202

$10.29 R 169

19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R 119

$7.07 R 116

2.26%

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

$245 R 4,036

$261 R 4,293

-5.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,030 R 99.2K

$15.0K R 246.4K

-59.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R 859

$52.6 R 865

-0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.63 R 537

$32.65 R 537

-0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 R 1,540

$92.1 R 1,514

1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 R 1,373

$83.1 R 1,366

0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,895

$451 R 7,411

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,197

$353 R 5,807

6.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 R 10.2K

$1,023 R 16.8K

-39.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 R 10.4K

$727 R 12.0K

-12.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$708 R 11.6K

$875 R 14.4K

-19.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$732 R 12.0K

$652 R 10.7K

12.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 R 23.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.34

-3.79%

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

Last update for Soweto: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Soweto

$377 33.8%

Pretoria

$353 27.6% 6.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Soweto

$227 20.4%

Pretoria

$223 17.5% 1.7% $3.9

Groceries & Markets

Soweto

$195 17.5%

Pretoria

$194 15.2% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Soweto

$137 12.3%

Pretoria

$141 11% 2.8% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Soweto

$118 10.6%

Pretoria

$117 9.2% 0.6% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Soweto

$50 4.4%

Pretoria

$46 3.6% 6.8% $3.4

Getting Around

Soweto

$12 * 1.1%

Pretoria

$204 16% 1597% $192

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Soweto versus $451 in Pretoria. 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 $37 in Soweto versus $37 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Soweto vs $194 in Pretoria – so Pretoria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Soweto

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

Same time as Soweto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,270,000

741,651 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Soweto Pretoria 61 km

From you

Soweto
Pretoria

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

Soweto vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,672 per month in Soweto and $1,917 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $419 in Soweto and $451 in Pretoria. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,115 in Soweto and $1,278 in Pretoria. That makes Soweto about 13% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $245 per month in Soweto and $261 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 $1,115 in Soweto and $1,278 in Pretoria. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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