Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Bhisho

For one person, living costs are similar in Durban and in Bhisho: $1,120 and $1,142 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
Learn more

Durban Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Bhisho
Learn more

Bhisho Living Index

Jump to prices

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,120

/mo nomad

Bhisho

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Bhisho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Durban versus $1,142 in Bhisho.

Durban $1,120
Bhisho $1,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,725 in Durban versus $1,802 in Bhisho.

Durban $1,725
Bhisho $1,802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,330 in Durban versus $2,462 in Bhisho.

Durban $2,330
Bhisho $2,462

Monthly costs are close between Durban and Bhisho; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durban 17% lower, Bhisho 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 R 142

$10.99 R 183

-22.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 R 613

$42.60 R 710

-13.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 R 101

$5.88 R 98.1

2.89%

Cappuccino

$2.66 R 44.35

$2.06 R 34.28

29.13%

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

$1.06 R 17.71

$1.02 R 16.98

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.97

$0.73 R 12.21

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.55

$2.66 R 44.24

-8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.70

$3.18 R 53.0

-23.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.78

$1.13 R 18.87

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 16.05

$1.04 R 17.37

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.86

$1.51 R 25.09

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.26 R 37.59

$2.71 R 45.09

-16.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 R 135

$8.81 R 147

-8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R 83.3

$5.20 R 86.7

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 R 126

$8.53 R 142

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 R 33.04

$2.18 R 36.32

-9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.36

$1.53 R 25.49

26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 32.18

$1.68 R 27.92

14.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.17

$1.73 R 28.86

-5.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.94

$1.67 R 27.81

-13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.77

$1.42 R 23.70

-3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 20.15

$1.25 R 20.78

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 19.65

$0.98 R 16.38

20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 R 58.6

$3.30 R 55.0

6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 R 79.0

$4.70 R 78.4

0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.63

$1.22 R 20.25

21.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.34

$1.76 R 29.36

10.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 R 29.50

$1.78 R 29.64

-0.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 R 365

$23.99 R 400

-8.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 R 6.69

$0.83 R 13.75

-51.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R 11.85

$0.50 R 8.33

42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R 129

$8.31 R 139

-6.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 R 25.20

$1.47 R 24.53

2.72%

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

$35.9K R 597.6K

$34.4K R 573.1K

4.27%

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

$33.4K R 556.6K

$35.4K R 589.9K

-5.65%

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

$147 R 2,454

$124 R 2,073

18.36%

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

$38.50 R 642

$34.58 R 576

11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.93 R 632

$45.53 R 759

-16.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 R 504

$32.31 R 538

-6.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.01 R 150

$11.98 R 200

-24.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 R 121

$10.38 R 173

-30.06%

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

$309 R 5,153

$177 R 2,955

74.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,433 R 123.9K

$6,036 R 100.6K

23.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R 876

$70.7 R 1,178

-25.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.16 R 453

$38.97 R 649

-30.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 R 1,596

$110 R 1,834

-13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 R 1,364

$97.3 R 1,621

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 7,072

$398 R 6,625

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 6,111

$355 R 5,908

3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 13.1K

$717 R 12.0K

9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 R 12.1K

-0.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$836 R 13.9K

$771 R 12.8K

8.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$575 R 9,588

$671 R 11.2K

-14.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,301 R 21.7K

$3,243 R 54.0K

-59.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

11.94

-2.01%

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

Last update for Durban: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$367 32.8%

Bhisho

$355 31.1% 3.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$224 20%

Bhisho

$205 17.9% 8.6% $19

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$193 17.2%

Bhisho

$196 17.1% 1.6% $3.1

Eating Out

Durban

$143 12.8%

Bhisho

$157 13.7% 9.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$116 10.3%

Bhisho

$143 12.5% 23.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$45 4%

Bhisho

$53 4.7% 18.6% $8.3

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Bhisho

$34 3% 4.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Durban and $398 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Durban vs $43 in Bhisho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $196 per month, with Durban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Bhisho

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

137,287

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Durban Bhisho 470 km

From you

Durban
Bhisho

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

Durban vs Bhisho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Durban. 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: $424 in Durban versus $398 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durban runs roughly 9% less than in Bhisho. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Dining out is cheaper in Durban – a meal for two runs $37 versus $43 in Bhisho. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Durban gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Durban wins on affordability, Bhisho on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.