Cost of Living Comparison Between St Francis Bay and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between St Francis Bay and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,052 per month in St Francis Bay vs $1,377 in Pretoria, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,736 per month in St Francis Bay vs $2,061 in Pretoria, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,421 per month in St Francis Bay vs $2,745 in Pretoria, rent included.

St Francis Bay is about 24% cheaper than Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

St Francis Bay sits 23% below the global median, while Pretoria is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.21 R 182

$9.30 R 151

20.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 R 706

$38.02 R 618

14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 R 59.9

$5.71 R 92.7

-35.38%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 34.63

$2.35 R 38.25

-9.36%

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

$1.10 R 17.81

$1.06 R 17.21

3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.85

$0.88 R 14.33

-10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R 34.83

$2.65 R 43.10

-19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.23

$3.18 R 51.7

-41.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R 14.88

$1.23 R 20.02

-25.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.56

$1.16 R 18.77

-6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.21

$1.85 R 29.99

-16.22%

Eggs

$2.87 R 46.62

$2.54 R 41.32

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 R 123

$8.48 R 138

-10.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 89.1

$5.07 R 82.3

8.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.90 R 145

$7.24 R 118

22.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 35.58

$1.87 R 30.40

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.03

$1.63 R 26.48

-1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.34

$1.83 R 29.80

-4.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.24

$1.65 R 26.83

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.21

$1.19 R 19.25

46.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.35

$1.23 R 20.04

17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.08

$1.24 R 20.11

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.42

$1.36 R 22.10

-25.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 R 53.2

$3.27 R 53.1

0.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 81.8

$5.03 R 81.7

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.70

$1.54 R 25.01

-17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.47

$1.92 R 31.25

-5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 R 25.79

$4.80 R 77.9

-66.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,900

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 9.88

$0.32 R 5.27

90.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 R 8.33

$0.78 R 12.64

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 R 138

$14.56 R 237

-41.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.15

$1.47 R 23.94

-7.48%

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

$21.1K R 342.6K

$36.5K R 593.6K

-42.29%

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

$35.1K R 570.9K

$34.0K R 552.4K

3.36%

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

$62.8 R 1,021

$155 R 2,513

-59.39%

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

$35.85 R 582

$37.47 R 609

-4.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.63 R 725

$37.79 R 614

18.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.06 R 537

$31.74 R 516

4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 R 201

$10.81 R 176

14.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 R 149

$7.41 R 120

24.16%

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

$183 R 2,972

$263 R 4,277

-30.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 R 105.0K

$8,086 R 131.4K

-20.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 R 1,189

$54.4 R 884

34.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 R 630

$32.97 R 536

17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,893

$93.1 R 1,513

25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 R 1,593

$86.2 R 1,400

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R 7,054

$471 R 7,645

-7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,982

$418 R 6,785

-11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 R 13.2K

$1,007 R 16.4K

-19.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 R 12.8K

$763 R 12.4K

3.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$909 R 14.8K

$900 R 14.6K

1.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 R 11.3K

$713 R 11.6K

-2.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.34

5.29%

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

Last update for St Francis Bay: September 13, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in St Francis Bay versus $471 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 $43.00 in St Francis Bay versus $38.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in St Francis Bay vs $198 in Pretoria – so St Francis Bay 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

St Francis Bay vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 31%, 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 $1,578 per month in St Francis Bay and $2,066 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Francis Bay, 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 $1,052 in St Francis Bay and $1,377 in Pretoria. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $183 per month in St Francis Bay and $263 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St Francis Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Pretoria at $1,377. In St Francis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St Francis Bay – 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 St Francis Bay. 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.