Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Pietermaritzburg

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Durban $1,130
Pietermaritzburg $1,033

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,555 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Durban $1,748
Pietermaritzburg $1,555

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,077 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Durban $2,366
Pietermaritzburg $2,077

Durban costs about 9% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Durban and Pietermaritzburg are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, Pietermaritzburg 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$7.74 R 129

2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 651

$35.63 R 593

9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

$5.80 R 96.4

6.03%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.45

$2.36 R 39.21

15.68%

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

$1.12 R 18.55

$1.16 R 19.37

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.19

$1.03 R 17.12

-11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.41

$2.15 R 35.72

13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.33

$2.51 R 41.69

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.48

$1.33 R 22.13

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.73

$0.92 R 15.30

9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.92

$1.70 R 28.26

-11.76%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.43

$3.16 R 52.6

-23.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 137

$7.22 R 120

13.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.4

$4.94 R 82.1

7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 121

$6.36 R 106

14.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.40

$2.04 R 33.94

-4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.40

$1.94 R 32.23

0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.30

$2.32 R 38.68

-16.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.37

$2.03 R 33.85

-18.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.77

$1.78 R 29.63

-12.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.28

$1.81 R 30.04

-19.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.38

$1.49 R 24.74

-21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.93

$1.04 R 17.26

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.6

$3.14 R 52.2

15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 78.8

$3.92 R 65.3

20.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.39

$1.42 R 23.66

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.52

$1.75 R 29.16

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.73

$2.86 R 47.62

-37.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 355

$19.71 R 328

8.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.77

$1.59 R 26.48

-74.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.57

$1.06 R 17.66

-28.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.79

$1.44 R 23.92

3.47%

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

$35.5K R 590.5K

$26.5K R 441.6K

33.70%

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

$32.3K R 537.7K

$26.8K R 445.6K

20.68%

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

$148 R 2,456

$205 R 3,410

-27.97%

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

$35.49 R 590

$32.46 R 540

9.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 656

$37.19 R 619

6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 516

$43.80 R 729

-29.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 143

$3.05 R 50.8

182.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$4.84 R 80.5

52.69%

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

$317 R 5,266

$177 R 2,945

78.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.3K

$5,103 R 84.9K

51.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 886

$56.7 R 943

-6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 507

$34.35 R 572

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,648

$114 R 1,894

-13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,414

$69.9 R 1,163

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,402

$216 R 3,601

105.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,230

$217 R 3,607

72.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.5K

$576 R 9,583

41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$405 R 6,742

83.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.6K

$5,914 R 98.4K

-86.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,404

$148 R 2,466

281.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.3K

$1,058 R 17.6K

20.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

11.67

0.94%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21% 42.1% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6% 23.4% $52

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8% 0.2% $0.4

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 5.6% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12% 2.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2% 16.7% $7.7

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 16.5% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Durban versus $216 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 21% higher in Durban. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban versus $36 in Pietermaritzburg. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Durban vs $194 in Pietermaritzburg – so Durban wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

618,536

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Durban Pietermaritzburg 68 km

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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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Durban and $1,550 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $445 in Durban.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban and $36 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Pietermaritzburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,130 in Durban and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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