Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Centurion versus $1,083 in Durban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,860 in Centurion versus $1,560 in Durban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Centurion versus $2,037 in Durban.

Living in Centurion is roughly 5% more expensive than in Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Centurion 14% lower, Durban 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 R 175

$7.52 R 124

40.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.51 R 555

$28.22 R 467

18.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 R 76.7

$4.94 R 81.8

-6.28%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 34.80

$1.90 R 31.38

10.53%

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

$0.98 R 16.30

$0.90 R 14.85

8.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 13.30

$0.67 R 11.03

19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 37.85

$1.97 R 32.64

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.09

$2.26 R 37.40

9.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.71

$1.05 R 17.36

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 17.02

$0.96 R 15.93

7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.21

$1.44 R 23.82

13.89%

Eggs

$2.51 R 41.49

$2.09 R 34.66

20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 R 137

$7.50 R 124

10.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 R 81.0

$4.52 R 74.8

8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 R 111

$6.16 R 102

8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.48

$1.56 R 25.76

6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.40 R 23.19

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.55

$1.33 R 22.06

24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.27

$1.31 R 21.72

21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 R 22.07

$1.31 R 21.67

1.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.17

$1.22 R 20.27

19.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.05

$0.97 R 16.08

12.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 17.54

$0.96 R 15.90

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.7

$3.00 R 49.74

4.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$4.75 R 78.7

27.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 R 23.88

$1.39 R 23.01

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.43

$1.74 R 28.88

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 R 36.76

$1.51 R 25.00

47.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 R 1,469

$38.64 R 640

129.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.94

$1.69 R 27.98

-32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.16

$0.58 R 9.65

89.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 R 67.0

$6.78 R 112

-40.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.63

$1.32 R 21.83

-5.30%

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

$22.5K R 372.7K

$20.5K R 340.0K

9.63%

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

$23.6K R 389.9K

$24.1K R 398.8K

-2.24%

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

$116 R 1,925

$146 R 2,410

-20.13%

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

$37.89 R 627

$29.42 R 487

28.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.49 R 687

$34.24 R 567

21.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 R 693

$33.69 R 558

24.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.02 R 16.89

$9.42 R 156

-89.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 R 122

$6.88 R 114

7.27%

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

$204 R 3,379

$205 R 3,393

-0.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,328 R 71.6K

$4,576 R 75.8K

-5.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.82 R 825

$41.95 R 694

18.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 R 542

$29.69 R 491

10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 R 1,459

$96.4 R 1,596

-8.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 R 1,440

$71.5 R 1,183

21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 R 5,197

$377 R 6,249

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 R 5,447

$364 R 6,028

-9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 R 8,772

$759 R 12.6K

-30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 R 13.4K

$588 R 9,732

38.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$530 R 8,769

$898 R 14.9K

-41.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 R 9,971

$597 R 9,879

0.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,165 R 35.8K

$1,247 R 20.6K

73.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

12.01

-2.66%

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

Last update for Centurion: July 14, 2026

Last update for Durban: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $314 in Centurion and $377 in Durban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 74% 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: $34.00 in Centurion vs $28.00 in Durban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $168 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

Centurion vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durban wins on cost – living expenses run 5% 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.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Centurion, 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: $314 in Centurion versus $377 in Durban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durban runs roughly 130% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $204 in Centurion versus $205 in Durban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Durban gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durban delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,083 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durban hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion 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 Durban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.