Cost of Living Comparison Between Benoni and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Benoni and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Benoni versus $1,121 in Durban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,355 in Benoni versus $1,782 in Durban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Benoni versus $2,442 in Durban.

Living in Benoni costs roughly 2% less than in Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Benoni 19% lower, Durban 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.26 R 168

$7.97 R 130

28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.74 R 634

$39.63 R 649

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 R 97.4

$6.11 R 100

-2.78%

Cappuccino

$2.33 R 38.19

$2.82 R 46.23

-17.38%

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

$1.20 R 19.58

$1.16 R 19.05

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.79

$0.87 R 14.17

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 37.55

$2.43 R 39.80

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.14

$2.58 R 42.19

6.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.52

$1.25 R 20.54

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.86

$1.04 R 17.07

10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.25

$1.59 R 26.03

8.81%

Eggs

$2.50 R 41.02

$2.50 R 40.92

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 R 133

$8.58 R 140

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 R 80.5

$5.34 R 87.4

-7.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R 118

$7.08 R 116

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.59

$1.93 R 31.61

-6.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.11

$1.91 R 31.32

-9.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.13

$1.99 R 32.65

-7.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.13

$1.63 R 26.72

1.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.63

$1.51 R 24.73

-20.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.09

$1.47 R 24.04

-20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.58

$1.24 R 20.39

1.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.45

$1.22 R 20.05

7.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.3

$3.78 R 61.9

-12.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 R 86.2

$5.01 R 82.1

4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.36

$1.43 R 23.50

12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 32.02

$1.97 R 32.34

-0.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 R 31.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 R 361

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.27

$0.47 R 7.70

-31.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.72

$0.71 R 11.58

35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.89 R 244

$7.76 R 127

91.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.05

$1.50 R 24.63

2.00%

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

$36.0K R 589.0K

$35.7K R 584.6K

0.75%

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

$32.6K R 533.6K

$32.2K R 527.6K

1.14%

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

$204 R 3,339

$142 R 2,325

43.60%

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

$38.80 R 636

$33.63 R 551

15.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.16 R 625

$39.63 R 649

-3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.56 R 304

$32.30 R 529

-42.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.25 R 151

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 R 122

$6.75 R 111

10.67%

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

$245 R 4,019

$326 R 5,342

-24.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,491 R 89.9K

$7,698 R 126.1K

-28.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 R 881

$55.2 R 904

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.94 R 539

$30.38 R 498

8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 R 1,523

$101 R 1,653

-7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 R 1,371

$87.4 R 1,431

-4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,603

$483 R 7,907

-16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 R 5,110

$374 R 6,122

-16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 R 7,908

$825 R 13.5K

-41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 R 12.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$890 R 14.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$581 R 9,519

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 R 33.6K

$1,269 R 20.8K

61.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.81

-7.62%

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

Last update for Benoni: September 14, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Benoni and $483 in Durban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Benoni vs $40.00 in Durban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $198 per month, with Benoni cheaper across the board.

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

Benoni vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benoni and Durban differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,102 vs $1,121 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Benoni, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Benoni versus $483 in Durban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Durban. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,102 per month in Benoni versus $1,121 in Durban – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Benoni versus $1,121 in Durban, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Durban. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Benoni and Durban are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Durban. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.