Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,130 a month against $1,367 in Centurion, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Centurion despite lower rent and utilities.

Centurion, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Centurion
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,367
/mo nomad
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Centurion and in Durban

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Centurion and in Durban actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,367 in Centurion versus $1,130 in Durban.

  • Centurion $1,367
  • Durban $1,130

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,206 in Centurion versus $1,748 in Durban.

  • Centurion $2,206
  • Durban $1,748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,045 in Centurion versus $2,366 in Durban.

  • Centurion $3,045
  • Durban $2,366

Living in Centurion is roughly 21% more expensive than in Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.75 R 361
$7.93 R 132
174.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.00 R 664
$39.14 R 650
2.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.75 R 95.5
$6.15 R 102
-6.50%
Cappuccino
$2.67 R 44.30
$2.73 R 45.38
-2.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 R 16.05
$1.12 R 18.52
-13.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 R 14.41
$0.91 R 15.17
-4.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 R 33.90
$2.43 R 40.35
-16.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 R 40.14
$2.48 R 41.26
-2.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 R 19.35
$1.17 R 19.45
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 20.13
$1.01 R 16.70
19.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 R 35.07
$1.50 R 24.88
40.67%
Eggs
$2.93 R 48.73
$2.43 R 40.36
20.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.09 R 168
$8.22 R 136
22.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.63 R 110
$5.32 R 88.3
24.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.26 R 121
$7.28 R 121
-0.27%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 R 30.91
$1.95 R 32.34
-4.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 R 30.93
$1.95 R 32.35
-4.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.49
$1.94 R 32.24
10.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 R 34.08
$1.65 R 27.33
24.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 R 26.34
$1.55 R 25.73
2.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 R 29.58
$1.46 R 24.24
21.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 R 22.52
$1.17 R 19.35
16.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 23.06
$1.14 R 18.90
21.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.70 R 61.4
$3.64 R 60.5
1.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.94 R 98.7
$4.73 R 78.6
25.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 R 26.26
$1.41 R 23.35
12.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 R 34.68
$1.89 R 31.47
10.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Centurion
Durban
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.36 R 39.18
$1.79 R 29.68
31.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.4 R 1,617
$21.32 R 354
356.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 R 20.30
$0.41 R 6.76
197.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.18 R 19.61
$0.76 R 12.55
55.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.04 R 150
$7.72 R 128
17.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 R 23.93
$1.49 R 24.75
-3.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K R 593.0K
$35.5K R 589.5K
0.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K R 545.8K
$32.3K R 536.8K
1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 R 2,263
$148 R 2,452
-7.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.89 R 497
$35.49 R 590
-15.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.20 R 668
$39.45 R 655
1.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.78 R 727
$31.01 R 515
41.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$8.61 R 143
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 R 176
$7.39 R 123
43.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$315 R 5,226
$317 R 5,257
-0.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,416 R 73.4K
$7,714 R 128.1K
-42.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 R 972
$53.2 R 884
9.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.25 R 718
$30.50 R 507
41.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 R 1,944
$99.1 R 1,645
18.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 R 1,696
$85.0 R 1,412
20.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Centurion
Durban
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$335 R 5,571
$445 R 7,390
-24.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$369 R 6,124
$374 R 6,220
-1.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$581 R 9,643
$814 R 13.5K
-28.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$891 R 14.8K
$744 R 12.4K
19.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$527 R 8,757
$820 R 13.6K
-35.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$605 R 10.0K
$565 R 9,389
7.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Centurion
Durban
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,364 R 39.3K
$1,280 R 21.3K
84.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.5
11.78
-10.87%

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

Last update for Centurion: October 24, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Centurion
$369
Durban
$374 1.6% $5.8
Eating Out
Centurion
$246
Durban
$140 43% $106
Groceries & Markets
Centurion
$223
Durban
$194 12.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Centurion
$206
Durban
$223 7.9% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Centurion
$144
Durban
$121 16.5% $24
Getting Around
Centurion
$114
Durban
$33 71.3% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Centurion
$65
Durban
$46 29.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Centurion and $445 in Durban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 85% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Centurion vs $39 in Durban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $194 per month, with Durban cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Centurion
🇿🇦 Durban
🕒 Local time
06:25 6:25 AM
06:25 6:25 AM
Same time as Centurion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
236,580
3,442,361
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Centurion Durban 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Centurion
  • Durban

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
Centurion vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Centurion or Durban?
Durban wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Durban the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Centurion or in Durban?
Average pay runs 85% higher in Centurion, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Centurion compared to Durban?
Rent for a central apartment: $335 in Centurion versus $445 in Durban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Centurion compared to Durban?
A monthly transit pass in Durban runs roughly 78% less than in Centurion. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Centurion and in Durban?
Childcare runs $315 in Centurion versus $317 in Durban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Should I move to Centurion or to Durban?
It comes down to priorities – Durban wins on affordability, Centurion on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Centurion vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?