Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and George

For one person, living costs are similar in Durban and in George: $1,130 and $1,110 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in George

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $1,110 in George, rent included.

Durban $1,130
George $1,110

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,847 in George, rent included.

Durban $1,748
George $1,847

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,584 in George, rent included.

Durban $2,366
George $2,584

Durban and George have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Durban and George are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, George 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$10.85 R 181

-26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 653

$41.91 R 700

-6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 103

$4.95 R 82.6

24.24%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.60

$2.13 R 35.57

28.17%

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

$1.12 R 18.61

$1.05 R 17.59

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.24

$0.78 R 12.95

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.55

$2.70 R 45.10

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.47

$3.25 R 54.3

-23.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.55

$1.15 R 19.15

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.78

$1.01 R 16.92

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.01

$1.50 R 25.09

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.57

$2.79 R 46.63

-12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 137

$8.68 R 145

-5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.7

$5.29 R 88.2

0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 122

$6.70 R 112

8.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.50

$1.68 R 27.99

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.51

$1.55 R 25.80

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.40

$1.49 R 24.86

30.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.47

$1.73 R 28.89

-4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.86

$1.71 R 28.48

-9.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.36

$1.40 R 23.32

4.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.45

$1.25 R 20.82

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 19.00

$0.99 R 16.61

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.8

$3.20 R 53.4

13.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 79.0

$4.97 R 83.0

-4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.46

$1.28 R 21.44

10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.62

$1.75 R 29.17

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.83

$1.48 R 24.63

20.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 356

$27.91 R 466

-23.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.80

$0.64 R 10.67

-35.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.61

$0.48 R 7.95

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 129

$8.64 R 144

-10.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.88

$1.25 R 20.87

19.20%

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

$35.5K R 592.4K

$29.9K R 499.3K

18.64%

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

$32.3K R 539.5K

$30.0K R 500.5K

7.80%

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

$148 R 2,464

$123 R 2,052

20.07%

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

$35.49 R 592

$17.56 R 293

102.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 659

$46.26 R 772

-14.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 518

$30.43 R 508

1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 144

$10.78 R 180

-20.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$5.93 R 98.9

24.62%

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

$317 R 5,284

$139 R 2,324

127.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.8K

$5,219 R 87.1K

47.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 889

$72.1 R 1,203

-26.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 509

$38.64 R 645

-21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,653

$112 R 1,864

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,419

$86.8 R 1,448

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,427

$429 R 7,163

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,251

$362 R 6,051

3.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.6K

$770 R 12.9K

5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$935 R 15.6K

-20.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.7K

$855 R 14.3K

-4.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,435

$690 R 11.5K

-18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.4K

$1,339 R 22.4K

-4.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

10.92

7.88%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for George: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

George

$362 32.6% 3.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

George

$187 16.8% 16.1% $36

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

George

$188 17% 3% $5.8

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

George

$155 13.9% 10.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

George

$139 12.5% 15.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

George

$42 3.8% 7.7% $3.5

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

George

$37 3.3% 12.8% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Durban versus $429 in George. 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 5% higher in George. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban versus $42 in George. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Durban vs $188 in George – so George wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

188,580

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durban George 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Durban
George

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Durban and $1,666 in George. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $445 in Durban and $429 in George. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban and $42 in George. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,130 in Durban and $1,110 in George, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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