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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,171 in Durban versus $1,434 in Centurion.

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

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

Living in Durban costs roughly 18% less than in Centurion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.90 R 126

$22.24 R 356

-64.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 R 628

$41.63 R 666

-5.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 R 97.1

$6.18 R 98.9

-1.78%

Cappuccino

$2.85 R 45.54

$2.73 R 43.71

4.40%

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

$1.18 R 18.90

$1.00 R 16.03

18.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.83

$0.89 R 14.25

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 R 40.61

$2.25 R 36.03

12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 R 41.73

$2.51 R 40.24

3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 20.88

$1.26 R 20.22

3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.13

$1.29 R 20.64

-17.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 24.92

$2.20 R 35.13

-29.09%

Eggs

$2.44 R 39.06

$3.15 R 50.4

-22.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 R 137

$10.29 R 165

-17.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 85.1

$6.88 R 110

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 R 114

$7.25 R 116

-1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 R 31.49

$1.88 R 30.01

4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.17

$1.85 R 29.57

5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 R 32.68

$2.30 R 36.75

-11.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.09

$2.18 R 34.84

-25.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 R 24.92

$1.65 R 26.47

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.10

$1.95 R 31.14

-26.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.05

$1.40 R 22.32

-10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 R 19.17

$1.52 R 24.33

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 R 58.4

$3.79 R 60.7

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 79.2

$6.37 R 102

-22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.05

$1.63 R 26.09

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 31.96

$2.11 R 33.84

-5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 R 30.50

$2.46 R 39.40

-22.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.78 R 365

$101 R 1,610

-77.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 R 7.34

$1.21 R 19.40

-61.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.37

$1.22 R 19.49

-36.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.69 R 123

$9.14 R 146

-15.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 23.92

$1.42 R 22.67

4.93%

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

$36.5K R 584.4K

$36.6K R 585.2K

-0.14%

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

$33.5K R 535.4K

$33.6K R 537.4K

-0.36%

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

$144 R 2,312

$146 R 2,329

-0.74%

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

$34.78 R 557

$31.61 R 506

10.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.26 R 660

$42.69 R 683

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.89 R 526

$45.99 R 736

-28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 R 149

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 R 110

$11.11 R 178

-38.07%

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

$324 R 5,184

$319 R 5,107

1.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,024 R 128.4K

$4,504 R 72.1K

78.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 R 907

$60.7 R 971

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.20 R 499

$45.61 R 730

-31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,608

$122 R 1,958

-17.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 R 1,459

$108 R 1,724

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 R 7,848

$349 R 5,588

40.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 R 6,235

$391 R 6,258

-0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 R 13.3K

$604 R 9,662

37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 R 12.6K

$925 R 14.8K

-14.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$924 R 14.8K

$543 R 8,687

70.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$614 R 9,832

$638 R 10.2K

-3.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 R 20.7K

$2,456 R 39.3K

-47.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

10.5

12.48%

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

Last update for Durban: September 6, 2026

Last update for Centurion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Durban and $349 in Centurion. 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: $39.00 in Durban vs $42.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $232 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

Durban vs Centurion: 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.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Centurion. 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: $490 in Durban versus $349 in Centurion. 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 $324 in Durban versus $319 in Centurion. 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, Durban and Centurion 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.