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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Durban is roughly 2% more expensive than in Benoni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.97 R 130

$10.26 R 168

-22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.63 R 649

$38.74 R 634

2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 R 100

$5.94 R 97.4

2.86%

Cappuccino

$2.82 R 46.23

$2.33 R 38.19

21.03%

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

$1.16 R 19.05

$1.20 R 19.58

-3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.17

$0.90 R 14.79

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 39.80

$2.29 R 37.55

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R 42.19

$2.76 R 45.14

-6.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.54

$1.19 R 19.52

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.07

$1.15 R 18.86

-9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.03

$1.73 R 28.25

-8.09%

Eggs

$2.50 R 40.92

$2.50 R 41.02

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 140

$8.10 R 133

5.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 87.4

$4.92 R 80.5

8.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 R 116

$7.21 R 118

-1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.61

$1.81 R 29.59

6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.32

$1.72 R 28.11

11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 R 32.65

$1.84 R 30.13

8.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.72

$1.66 R 27.13

-1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.73

$1.20 R 19.63

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.04

$1.17 R 19.09

25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.39

$1.26 R 20.58

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 20.05

$1.31 R 21.45

-6.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 R 61.9

$3.32 R 54.3

13.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 R 82.1

$5.26 R 86.2

-4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.50

$1.61 R 26.36

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R 32.34

$1.96 R 32.02

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)

$0.47 R 7.70

$0.32 R 5.27

46.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R 11.58

$0.96 R 15.72

-26.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 R 127

$14.89 R 244

-47.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.63

$1.53 R 25.05

-1.96%

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

$35.7K R 584.6K

$36.0K R 589.0K

-0.74%

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

$32.2K R 527.6K

$32.6K R 533.6K

-1.13%

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

$142 R 2,325

$204 R 3,339

-30.36%

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

$33.63 R 551

$38.80 R 636

-13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.63 R 649

$38.16 R 625

3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.30 R 529

$18.56 R 304

74.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.25 R 151

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 R 111

$7.47 R 122

-9.64%

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

$326 R 5,342

$245 R 4,019

32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,698 R 126.1K

$5,491 R 89.9K

40.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 R 904

$53.8 R 881

2.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.38 R 498

$32.94 R 539

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,653

$93.0 R 1,523

8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 R 1,431

$83.7 R 1,371

4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 R 7,907

$403 R 6,603

19.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,122

$312 R 5,110

19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 R 13.5K

$483 R 7,908

70.84%

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)

$1,269 R 20.8K

$2,049 R 33.6K

-38.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

10.91

8.25%

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

Last update for Durban: September 12, 2026

Last update for Benoni: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $483 in Durban and $403 in Benoni. 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: $40.00 in Durban vs $39.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $195 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

Durban vs Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Benoni. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $483 in Durban versus $403 in Benoni. 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 $1,121 per month in Durban versus $1,102 in Benoni – 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, Durban and Benoni 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.