Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stellenbosch and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Stellenbosch: $1,165 a month against $1,328 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Pretoria despite lower rent and utilities.

56

Cost of Living Index in Stellenbosch
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Stellenbosch Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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Stellenbosch

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,165

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,165 per month in Stellenbosch vs $1,328 in Pretoria, rent included.

Stellenbosch $1,165
Pretoria $1,328

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Stellenbosch vs $2,017 in Pretoria, rent included.

Stellenbosch $1,913
Pretoria $2,017

A family of three spends $2,660 per month in Stellenbosch vs $2,707 in Pretoria, rent included.

Stellenbosch $2,660
Pretoria $2,707

Stellenbosch is about 12% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Stellenbosch and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Stellenbosch 14% lower, Pretoria 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 R 120

$9.04 R 149

-19.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 R 590

$37.37 R 616

-4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 R 77.8

$5.28 R 87.0

-10.61%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 33.74

$2.33 R 38.34

-12.02%

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

$1.00 R 16.52

$1.09 R 17.89

-8.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.67

$0.89 R 14.72

-13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 R 44.51

$2.58 R 42.58

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 50.7

$3.24 R 53.5

-4.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.16

$1.19 R 19.62

12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.13 R 18.63

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.68

$1.77 R 29.17

5.08%

Eggs

$2.84 R 46.86

$2.55 R 42.00

11.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 R 142

$8.20 R 135

5.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 R 95.6

$4.82 R 79.5

20.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 R 124

$7.45 R 123

0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.67

$1.71 R 28.22

1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.14

$1.61 R 26.46

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.78

$1.78 R 29.30

-5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.17

$1.62 R 26.66

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.89

$1.13 R 18.54

-3.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.17

$1.18 R 19.39

29.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.50

$1.17 R 19.33

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 19.36

$1.33 R 21.97

-12.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 R 58.1

$3.18 R 52.4

10.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 R 102

$5.01 R 82.6

23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.93

$1.59 R 26.28

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.91

$1.92 R 31.65

13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 R 79.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$176 R 2,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 10.10

$0.31 R 5.19

96.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 R 25.56

$0.75 R 12.40

106.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 R 82.7

$14.28 R 235

-64.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 23.05

$1.52 R 25.03

-7.89%

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

$35.0K R 577.2K

$35.1K R 578.0K

-0.15%

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

$31.0K R 510.9K

$33.3K R 549.0K

-6.94%

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

$103 R 1,691

$152 R 2,505

-32.50%

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

$28.53 R 470

$36.95 R 609

-22.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 R 565

$37.42 R 617

-8.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 R 482

$31.33 R 516

-6.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 R 277

$10.27 R 169

63.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$7.46 R 123

19.17%

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

$264 R 4,351

$261 R 4,300

1.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,389 R 39.4K

$7,812 R 128.7K

-69.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 R 858

$53.8 R 886

-3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.72 R 473

$31.62 R 521

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,951

$94.0 R 1,549

25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 R 1,486

$83.9 R 1,383

7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 R 11.5K

$456 R 7,514

53.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 R 8,038

$401 R 6,610

21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 R 23.8K

$981 R 16.2K

47.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 R 19.0K

$749 R 12.3K

54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$875 R 14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R 11.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,556 R 42.1K

$1,420 R 23.4K

80.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.7

11.34

-5.64%

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

Last update for Stellenbosch: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stellenbosch

$488 41.9%

Pretoria

$401 30.2% 17.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

Stellenbosch

$202 17.4%

Pretoria

$193 14.6% 4.5% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stellenbosch

$165 14.2%

Pretoria

$226 17.1% 36.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Stellenbosch

$130 11.2%

Pretoria

$119 8.9% 9% $12

Eating Out

Stellenbosch

$124 10.6%

Pretoria

$143 10.8% 15.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Stellenbosch

$47 4%

Pretoria

$46 3.5% 1.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Stellenbosch

$8.4 * 0.7%

Pretoria

$199 15% 2276% $191

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $698 in Stellenbosch versus $456 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 80% higher in Stellenbosch, 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 $36.00 in Stellenbosch versus $37.00 in Pretoria. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Stellenbosch vs $193 in Pretoria – so Pretoria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Stellenbosch

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

Same time as Stellenbosch

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,068

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

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Between locations

Stellenbosch Pretoria 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Stellenbosch
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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

Stellenbosch vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,748 per month in Stellenbosch and $1,992 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stellenbosch, 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 $1,165 in Stellenbosch and $1,328 in Pretoria. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $264 per month in Stellenbosch and $261 in Pretoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stellenbosch, where all-in costs run around $1,165, than in Pretoria at $1,328. In Stellenbosch it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stellenbosch – 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 Stellenbosch. 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.