Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Durban outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in East London

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 East London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $992 in East London, rent included.

Durban $1,130
East London $992

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,611 in East London, rent included.

Durban $1,748
East London $1,611

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,230 in East London, rent included.

Durban $2,366
East London $2,230

Durban costs about 14% more than East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Durban and East London are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, East London 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$9.10 R 151

-12.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 650

$38.23 R 635

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

$5.57 R 92.5

10.41%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.37

$2.05 R 34.01

33.17%

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

$1.12 R 18.52

$1.04 R 17.30

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.16

$0.76 R 12.68

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.33

$2.69 R 44.62

-9.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.25

$3.21 R 53.3

-22.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.44

$1.18 R 19.67

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.69

$0.87 R 14.51

16.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.88

$1.44 R 23.94

4.17%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.35

$2.27 R 37.75

7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 136

$8.37 R 139

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.3

$5.49 R 91.2

-3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 121

$6.71 R 111

8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.33

$1.46 R 24.26

33.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.34

$1.53 R 25.39

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.23

$1.63 R 27.12

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.32

$1.43 R 23.81

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.72

$1.68 R 27.84

-7.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.23

$1.43 R 23.69

2.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.35

$1.17 R 19.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.90

$0.95 R 15.79

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.5

$2.89 R 47.99

25.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 78.6

$4.70 R 78.0

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.34

$1.19 R 19.76

18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.46

$0.98 R 16.35

92.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.68

$1.47 R 24.48

21.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 354

$46.85 R 778

-54.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.76

$1.22 R 20.27

-66.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.55

$0.46 R 7.58

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 128

$8.38 R 139

-7.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.75

$1.35 R 22.41

10.37%

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

$35.5K R 589.3K

$34.7K R 575.7K

2.36%

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

$32.3K R 536.7K

$29.3K R 486.3K

10.37%

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

$148 R 2,452

$122 R 2,030

20.73%

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

$35.49 R 589

$32.64 R 542

8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 655

$44.35 R 736

-11.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 515

$39.51 R 656

-21.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 143

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$4.54 R 75.4

62.78%

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

$317 R 5,256

$177 R 2,941

78.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.1K

$5,438 R 90.3K

41.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 884

$56.8 R 944

-6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 506

$32.80 R 545

-7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,645

$73.1 R 1,213

35.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,412

$95.2 R 1,580

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,388

$290 R 4,822

53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,218

$251 R 4,161

49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.5K

$543 R 9,011

49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$633 R 10.5K

17.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,386

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.2K

$1,664 R 27.6K

-23.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

7.09%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

East London

$251 25.3% 33.1% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

East London

$199 20.1% 10.5% $23

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

East London

$180 18.1% 7.5% $14

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

East London

$141 14.2% 0.9% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

East London

$116 11.7% 3.7% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

East London

$49 4.9% 6.1% $2.8

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

East London

$56 5.7% 72.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Durban versus $290 in East London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in East London, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban versus $38 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $180 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 East London

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

267,007

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durban East London 460 km

From you

Durban
East London

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Durban and $1,487 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $445 in Durban.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,130 in Durban and $992 in East London. That makes East London about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward East London – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.