Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Margate, South Africa

For one person, living is cheaper in Margate: $891 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
Learn more

Durban Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Margate
Learn more

Margate Living Index

Jump to prices

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Margate

🇿🇦 South Africa

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Margate

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $891 in Margate, rent included.

Durban $1,130
Margate $891

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,419 in Margate, rent included.

Durban $1,748
Margate $1,419

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $1,947 in Margate, rent included.

Durban $2,366
Margate $1,947

Durban costs about 27% more than Margate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Durban and Margate are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, Margate 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$7.72 R 129

2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 652

$36.77 R 613

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 103

$5.95 R 99.2

3.36%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.52

$1.89 R 31.55

44.44%

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

$1.12 R 18.58

$1.05 R 17.58

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.22

$0.84 R 14.03

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.48

$2.44 R 40.72

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.39

$2.30 R 38.37

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.51

$0.99 R 16.45

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.75

$0.91 R 15.10

10.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.96

$1.13 R 18.75

32.74%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.49

$2.38 R 39.67

2.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 137

$5.21 R 86.8

57.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.6

$3.41 R 56.8

56.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 121

$6.01 R 100

21.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.45

$1.16 R 19.25

68.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.45

$1.25 R 20.88

56.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.35

$1.09 R 18.16

77.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.42

$1.41 R 23.52

17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.81

$1.10 R 18.25

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.32

$1.33 R 22.11

9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.41

$1.10 R 18.40

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.96

$0.97 R 16.18

17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.7

$1.62 R 26.95

124.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 78.9

$3.63 R 60.5

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.42

$1.48 R 24.64

-4.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.57

$1.85 R 30.90

2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.78

$1.56 R 25.93

14.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 355

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.78

$0.45 R 7.43

-8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.59

$0.71 R 11.90

7.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 129

$7.76 R 129

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.83

$1.37 R 22.90

8.76%

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

$35.5K R 591.4K

$35.1K R 584.9K

1.11%

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

$32.3K R 538.6K

$33.7K R 561.2K

-4.03%

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

$148 R 2,460

$61.6 R 1,027

139.62%

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

$35.49 R 591

$18.40 R 307

92.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 657

$32.91 R 548

19.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 517

$32.81 R 547

-5.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 143

$10.97 R 183

-21.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$4.34 R 72.3

70.28%

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

$317 R 5,274

$310 R 5,169

2.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.5K

$7,680 R 128.0K

0.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 887

$54.6 R 909

-2.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 508

$18.27 R 304

66.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,651

$71.7 R 1,195

38.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,417

$49.48 R 825

71.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,414

$395 R 6,587

12.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,240

$363 R 6,055

3.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.6K

$743 R 12.4K

9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$724 R 12.1K

2.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.7K

$880 R 14.7K

-6.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,419

$696 R 11.6K

-18.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.3K

$1,528 R 25.5K

-16.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for Margate: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

Margate

$363 40.8% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

Margate

$113 12.7% 49.3% $110

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

Margate

$149 16.7% 23.4% $45

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

Margate

$127 14.2% 9.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

Margate

$87 9.8% 27.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

Margate

$41 4.7% 9.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Margate

$10 * 1.2% 68.6% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Durban versus $395 in Margate. 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 19% higher in Margate, 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 $37 in Margate. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $149 – making Margate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Margate

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

34,407

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Durban Margate 130 km

From you

Durban
Margate

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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 27%, 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 $1,336 in Margate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $395 there versus $445 in Durban.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban and $37 in Margate. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,130 in Durban and $891 in Margate. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Durban has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $891 in Margate to $1,130 in Durban. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.