Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Middelburg, South Africa

For one person, living costs are similar in Durban and in Middelburg: $1,120 and $1,099 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,120

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Middelburg

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

A single person spends $1,120 per month in Durban vs $1,099 in Middelburg, rent included.

Durban $1,120
Middelburg $1,099

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Durban vs $1,695 in Middelburg, rent included.

Durban $1,725
Middelburg $1,695

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Durban vs $2,291 in Middelburg, rent included.

Durban $2,330
Middelburg $2,291

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

Both Durban and Middelburg are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, Middelburg 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 R 141

$9.53 R 157

-10.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 R 605

$35.98 R 592

2.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 R 99.6

$5.87 R 96.5

3.07%

Cappuccino

$2.66 R 43.78

$1.29 R 21.26

106.20%

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

$1.06 R 17.49

$0.83 R 13.58

27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.80

$0.64 R 10.54

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.03

$1.17 R 19.28

107.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.18

$1.52 R 25.01

60.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.53

$1.17 R 19.20

1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.84

$1.04 R 17.14

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.55

$1.46 R 24.09

2.05%

Eggs

$2.26 R 37.11

$1.70 R 28.00

32.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 R 133

$5.76 R 94.8

40.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R 82.2

$4.96 R 81.6

0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 R 124

$6.60 R 109

14.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 R 32.62

$1.66 R 27.35

19.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 R 31.94

$1.08 R 17.79

79.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.77

$1.12 R 18.42

72.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.82

$1.24 R 20.35

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.63

$1.73 R 28.38

-16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.48

$1.23 R 20.27

11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 19.90

$1.24 R 20.37

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 19.40

$1.04 R 17.10

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 R 57.9

$2.39 R 39.37

47.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 R 78.0

$4.80 R 78.9

-1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.32

$1.76 R 28.99

-15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 31.92

$2.06 R 33.85

-5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 R 29.13

$1.42 R 23.40

24.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 R 360

$42.88 R 705

-48.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 R 6.60

$0.94 R 15.45

-57.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R 11.70

$0.74 R 12.24

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R 128

$11.57 R 190

-32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 R 24.88

$1.33 R 21.95

13.53%

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

$35.9K R 590.0K

$34.3K R 563.7K

4.67%

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

$33.4K R 549.5K

$31.9K R 525.0K

4.66%

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

$147 R 2,422

$151 R 2,487

-2.59%

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

$38.50 R 633

$35.28 R 580

9.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.93 R 624

$37.41 R 615

1.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 R 498

$32.36 R 532

-6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.01 R 148

$12.35 R 203

-27.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 R 119

$6.25 R 103

16.16%

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

$309 R 5,087

$236 R 3,879

31.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,433 R 122.3K

$6,077 R 100.0K

22.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R 865

$53.1 R 874

-0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.16 R 447

$31.79 R 523

-14.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 R 1,575

$98.9 R 1,626

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 R 1,346

$86.8 R 1,427

-5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 6,981

$398 R 6,546

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 6,033

$361 R 5,944

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 12.9K

$719 R 11.8K

9.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 R 11.9K

$728 R 12.0K

-0.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$836 R 13.7K

$757 R 12.5K

10.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$575 R 9,465

$670 R 11.0K

-14.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,301 R 21.4K

$1,193 R 19.6K

9.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

10.92

7.14%

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

Last update for Durban: November 2, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$367 32.8%

Middelburg

$361 32.9% 1.5% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$224 20%

Middelburg

$224 20.4% 0.1% $0.2

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$193 17.2%

Middelburg

$170 15.4% 11.9% $23

Eating Out

Durban

$143 12.8%

Middelburg

$124 11.3% 13.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$116 10.3%

Middelburg

$122 11.1% 5.1% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$45 4%

Middelburg

$45 4.1% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Middelburg

$53 4.8% 61.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Durban versus $398 in Middelburg. 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 9% higher in Durban. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Durban versus $36 in Middelburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $170 – making Middelburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

87,348

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,680 per month in Durban and $1,648 in Middelburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $424 in Durban and $398 in Middelburg. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Durban and $36 in Middelburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,120 in Durban and $1,099 in Middelburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Middelburg – 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 Middelburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Durban makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.