Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Jeffreys Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Jeffreys Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,043 per month in Durban vs $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,554 per month in Durban vs $1,547 in Jeffreys Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,065 per month in Durban vs $2,049 in Jeffreys Bay, rent included.

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

Both Durban and Jeffreys Bay are more affordable than the global median – Durban 22% lower, Jeffreys Bay 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 R 119

$5.56 R 90.1

32.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.44 R 460

$34.27 R 555

-17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 R 82.9

$5.36 R 86.7

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$1.93 R 31.23

$1.78 R 28.83

8.43%

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

$0.87 R 14.01

$0.69 R 11.09

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R 11.47

$0.96 R 15.54

-26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R 32.03

$1.80 R 29.18

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R 36.71

$1.86 R 30.05

22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 16.73

$1.07 R 17.39

-3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 R 14.65

$0.99 R 16.06

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R 22.83

$1.71 R 27.74

-17.54%

Eggs

$2.18 R 35.35

$2.74 R 44.27

-20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 R 120

$5.84 R 94.6

26.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 R 73.5

$4.69 R 75.9

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 R 103

$6.82 R 110

-6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.41

$1.89 R 30.53

-20.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 R 21.93

$1.46 R 23.64

-7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 R 21.68

$1.55 R 25.03

-13.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.07

$1.65 R 26.72

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.18

$1.36 R 22.03

-3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.00

$1.19 R 19.27

-1.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R 15.80

$1.08 R 17.53

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 14.75

$1.04 R 16.81

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R 48.70

$2.75 R 44.46

9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 R 80.4

$3.97 R 64.3

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.52

$1.42 R 22.94

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 R 28.13

$1.77 R 28.58

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 R 24.71

$1.61 R 26.03

-4.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.82 R 628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 R 26.41

$1.15 R 18.66

41.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 R 9.47

$0.88 R 14.21

-34.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 R 106

$3.92 R 63.4

66.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.84

$1.25 R 20.21

3.20%

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

$20.5K R 332.0K

$21.6K R 349.0K

-4.86%

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

$24.4K R 395.2K

$24.0K R 388.2K

1.81%

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

$147 R 2,374

$140 R 2,259

5.08%

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

$29.37 R 475

$55.2 R 893

-46.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 R 539

$59.5 R 964

-44.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.64 R 545

$31.45 R 509

6.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 R 152

$5.44 R 88.0

72.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 108

$6.59 R 107

1.21%

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

$209 R 3,389

$129 R 2,094

61.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,571 R 74.0K

$4,424 R 71.6K

3.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 R 683

$50.4 R 816

-16.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 R 488

$31.83 R 515

-5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 R 1,554

$87.0 R 1,408

10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 R 1,185

$81.2 R 1,314

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 5,912

$364 R 5,886

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,942

$320 R 5,186

14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 R 12.3K

$699 R 11.3K

8.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 R 9,340

$588 R 9,516

-1.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$926 R 15.0K

$822 R 13.3K

12.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 R 9,583

$725 R 11.7K

-18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 R 22.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

11.51

4.34%

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

Last update for Durban: June 14, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Durban versus $364 in Jeffreys Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Durban versus $34.00 in Jeffreys Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $174 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,565 per month in Durban and $1,568 in Jeffreys Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durban, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Durban and $34.00 in Jeffreys Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $209 per month in Durban and $129 in Jeffreys Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,043 in Durban and $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jeffreys Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.