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: $1,434 in Centurion versus $1,171 in Durban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,285 in Centurion versus $1,816 in Durban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,136 in Centurion versus $2,461 in Durban.

Living in Centurion is roughly 22% more expensive than in Durban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Centurion is 4% above, Durban is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.24 R 356

$7.90 R 126

181.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.63 R 666

$39.25 R 628

6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 R 98.9

$6.07 R 97.1

1.81%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 43.71

$2.85 R 45.54

-4.21%

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

$1.00 R 16.03

$1.18 R 18.90

-15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.25

$0.93 R 14.83

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 36.03

$2.54 R 40.61

-11.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 40.24

$2.61 R 41.73

-3.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.22

$1.30 R 20.88

-3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.64

$1.07 R 17.13

20.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 35.13

$1.56 R 24.92

41.03%

Eggs

$3.15 R 50.4

$2.44 R 39.06

29.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 R 165

$8.54 R 137

20.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 R 110

$5.32 R 85.1

29.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R 116

$7.14 R 114

1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.01

$1.97 R 31.49

-4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.57

$1.95 R 31.17

-5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 R 36.75

$2.04 R 32.68

12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.84

$1.63 R 26.09

33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.47

$1.56 R 24.92

5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.14

$1.44 R 23.10

35.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 R 22.32

$1.25 R 20.05

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.33

$1.20 R 19.17

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 R 60.7

$3.65 R 58.4

3.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 R 102

$4.95 R 79.2

28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 R 26.09

$1.50 R 24.05

8.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 R 33.84

$2.00 R 31.96

5.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 R 39.40

$1.91 R 30.50

28.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 R 1,610

$22.78 R 365

341.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 R 19.40

$0.46 R 7.34

163.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 R 19.49

$0.77 R 12.37

58.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.14 R 146

$7.69 R 123

18.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 22.67

$1.49 R 23.92

-4.70%

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

$36.6K R 585.2K

$36.5K R 584.4K

0.14%

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

$33.6K R 537.4K

$33.5K R 535.4K

0.36%

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

$146 R 2,329

$144 R 2,312

0.74%

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

$31.61 R 506

$34.78 R 557

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 R 683

$41.26 R 660

3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.99 R 736

$32.89 R 526

39.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 R 149

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 R 178

$6.88 R 110

61.48%

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

$319 R 5,107

$324 R 5,184

-1.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,504 R 72.1K

$8,024 R 128.4K

-43.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 R 971

$56.7 R 907

7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.61 R 730

$31.20 R 499

46.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 R 1,958

$101 R 1,608

21.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,724

$91.2 R 1,459

18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R 5,588

$490 R 7,848

-28.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R 6,258

$390 R 6,235

0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 R 9,662

$833 R 13.3K

-27.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 R 14.8K

$789 R 12.6K

17.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$543 R 8,687

$924 R 14.8K

-41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 R 10.2K

$614 R 9,832

3.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,456 R 39.3K

$1,293 R 20.7K

89.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.81

-11.09%

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

Last update for Centurion: September 7, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Centurion and $490 in Durban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 90% 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: $42.00 in Centurion vs $39.00 in Durban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 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

Centurion vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durban wins on cost – living expenses run 22% 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 90% 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: $349 in Centurion versus $490 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 342% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $319 in Centurion versus $324 in Durban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,171 in Durban versus $1,434 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Durban but tight or insufficient in Centurion. The gap between the two cities makes Durban the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durban delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,171 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 22% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.