Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Welkom and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Welkom: $1,051 a month against $1,278 in Pretoria, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Pretoria despite lower rent and utilities.

50

Cost of Living Index in Welkom
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Welkom Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
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Pretoria Living Index

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Welkom

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,051

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,051 per month in Welkom vs $1,278 in Pretoria, rent included.

Welkom $1,051
Pretoria $1,278

A couple spends around $1,581 per month in Welkom vs $1,980 in Pretoria, rent included.

Welkom $1,581
Pretoria $1,980

A family of three spends $2,112 per month in Welkom vs $2,683 in Pretoria, rent included.

Welkom $2,112
Pretoria $2,683

Welkom is about 18% cheaper than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Welkom and Pretoria are more affordable than the global median – Welkom 22% lower, Pretoria 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.84 R 145

$8.90 R 146

-0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 R 342

$36.92 R 607

-43.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 R 86.1

$5.30 R 87.1

-1.32%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R 37.69

$2.29 R 37.71

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

$0.50 R 8.23

$1.06 R 17.45

-52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R 10.25

$0.86 R 14.08

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 R 20.05

$2.34 R 38.47

-47.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 R 24.03

$3.42 R 56.2

-57.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R 16.50

$1.13 R 18.65

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.61

$1.14 R 18.72

-11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R 23.10

$1.83 R 30.12

-23.50%

Eggs

$1.79 R 29.38

$2.41 R 39.71

-25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 R 107

$8.44 R 139

-23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 R 73.0

$5.00 R 82.3

-11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.68 R 77.0

$7.41 R 122

-36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.39

$1.79 R 29.49

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.22

$1.68 R 27.67

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.19

$1.78 R 29.26

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.23

$1.58 R 26.01

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.49

$1.08 R 17.74

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.02

$1.18 R 19.43

3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 R 14.30

$1.18 R 19.37

-26.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R 21.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R 38.93

$3.27 R 53.8

-27.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.46 R 40.53

$5.17 R 85.1

-52.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.26

$1.55 R 25.53

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 28.95

$1.88 R 30.91

-6.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.43

$4.59 R 75.5

-61.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$181 R 2,983

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.18

$0.31 R 5.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R 13.43

$0.79 R 13.01

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 R 242

$14.73 R 242

0.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 25.96

$1.53 R 25.16

3.27%

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

$35.3K R 581.2K

$35.7K R 587.8K

-1.13%

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

$34.0K R 559.7K

$35.1K R 577.4K

-3.08%

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

$153 R 2,522

$150 R 2,466

2.27%

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

$36.34 R 598

$36.66 R 603

-0.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.25 R 596

$36.73 R 604

-1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.57 R 519

$31.99 R 526

-1.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.70 R 193

$10.29 R 169

13.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 R 121

$7.07 R 116

4.24%

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

$256 R 4,216

$261 R 4,293

-1.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,077 R 100.0K

$15.0K R 246.4K

-59.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 R 863

$52.6 R 865

-0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.62 R 520

$32.65 R 537

-3.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R 1,520

$92.1 R 1,514

0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.7 R 1,360

$83.1 R 1,366

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 R 6,446

$451 R 7,411

-13.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 R 5,981

$353 R 5,807

3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 R 11.9K

$1,023 R 16.8K

-29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 R 11.9K

$727 R 12.0K

-0.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$715 R 11.8K

$875 R 14.4K

-18.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$621 R 10.2K

$652 R 10.7K

-4.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 R 23.0K

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 Welkom: October 31, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Welkom

$364 34.6%

Pretoria

$353 27.6% 2.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Welkom

$226 21.5%

Pretoria

$223 17.5% 1.2% $2.6

Groceries & Markets

Welkom

$160 15.2%

Pretoria

$194 15.2% 21.3% $34

Eating Out

Welkom

$127 12.1%

Pretoria

$141 11% 10.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Welkom

$117 11.1%

Pretoria

$117 9.2% 0.5% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Welkom

$46 4.4%

Pretoria

$46 3.6% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Welkom

$12 * 1.1%

Pretoria

$204 16% 1666% $192

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Welkom 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 $21 in Welkom versus $37 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $194 – making Welkom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Welkom

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

Same time as Welkom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,130

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

Welkom Pretoria 290 km

From you

Welkom
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

Welkom vs Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pretoria is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,577 per month in Welkom and $1,917 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Welkom, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $392 there versus $451 in Pretoria.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,051 in Welkom and $1,278 in Pretoria. That makes Welkom about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $256 per month in Welkom 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 $1,051 in Welkom and $1,278 in Pretoria. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Pretoria has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,051 in Welkom to $1,278 in Pretoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.