Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhisho and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhisho and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,195 in Bhisho versus $1,171 in Durban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,877 in Bhisho versus $1,816 in Durban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,558 in Bhisho versus $2,461 in Durban.

Living in Bhisho is roughly 2% more expensive than in Durban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhisho 13% lower, Durban 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 R 183

$7.90 R 126

44.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 R 707

$39.25 R 628

12.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 R 99.5

$6.07 R 97.1

2.47%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 35.82

$2.85 R 45.54

-21.40%

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

$1.04 R 16.72

$1.18 R 18.90

-11.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 12.97

$0.93 R 14.83

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 R 44.75

$2.54 R 40.61

10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R 51.1

$2.61 R 41.73

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.25

$1.30 R 20.88

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 16.51

$1.07 R 17.13

-3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.18

$1.56 R 24.92

-3.21%

Eggs

$2.83 R 45.24

$2.44 R 39.06

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 R 139

$8.54 R 137

1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 R 87.4

$5.32 R 85.1

2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 R 142

$7.14 R 114

23.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R 36.48

$1.97 R 31.49

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.64

$1.95 R 31.17

-17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 27.81

$2.04 R 32.68

-14.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 R 29.83

$1.63 R 26.09

14.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.48

$1.56 R 24.92

14.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.37

$1.44 R 23.10

1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 20.75

$1.25 R 20.05

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.40

$1.20 R 19.17

-14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 52.2

$3.65 R 58.4

-10.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 R 79.8

$4.95 R 79.2

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.06

$1.50 R 24.05

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 29.20

$2.00 R 31.96

-9.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 25.68

$1.91 R 30.50

-16.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.18 R 403

$22.78 R 365

10.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 R 9.86

$0.46 R 7.34

34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.30

$0.77 R 12.37

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 R 142

$7.69 R 123

15.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.45

$1.49 R 23.92

-1.34%

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

$37.0K R 591.6K

$36.5K R 584.4K

1.23%

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

$34.2K R 547.5K

$33.5K R 535.4K

2.26%

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

$128 R 2,055

$144 R 2,312

-11.10%

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

$35.69 R 571

$34.78 R 557

2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.61 R 746

$41.26 R 660

12.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.88 R 542

$32.89 R 526

3.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.41 R 199

$9.31 R 149

33.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 R 178

$6.88 R 110

62.06%

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

$182 R 2,913

$324 R 5,184

-43.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,243 R 99.9K

$8,024 R 128.4K

-22.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 R 1,163

$56.7 R 907

28.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 R 616

$31.20 R 499

23.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,861

$101 R 1,608

15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 R 1,581

$91.2 R 1,459

8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 R 6,742

$490 R 7,848

-14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 5,954

$390 R 6,235

-4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 R 12.8K

$833 R 13.3K

-4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.2K

$789 R 12.6K

-3.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$895 R 14.3K

$924 R 14.8K

-3.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 R 10.9K

$614 R 9,832

10.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,412 R 54.6K

$1,293 R 20.7K

163.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.81

1.10%

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

Last update for Bhisho: September 7, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Bhisho and $490 in Durban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 164% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bhisho vs $39.00 in Durban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $200 per month, with Durban 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

Bhisho vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durban wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Bhisho. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durban the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Bhisho, 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: $421 in Bhisho versus $490 in Durban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $182 in Bhisho versus $324 in Durban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,171 in Durban versus $1,195 in Bhisho, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Durban but tight or insufficient in Bhisho. The gap between the two cities makes Durban 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.

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