Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Plettenberg Bay

For one person, living costs are similar in Durban and in Plettenberg Bay: $1,130 and $1,117 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Plettenberg Bay
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Plettenberg Bay Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Plettenberg Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Plettenberg Bay

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $1,117 in Plettenberg Bay, rent included.

Durban $1,130
Plettenberg Bay $1,117

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,803 in Plettenberg Bay, rent included.

Durban $1,748
Plettenberg Bay $1,803

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,488 in Plettenberg Bay, rent included.

Durban $2,366
Plettenberg Bay $2,488

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$10.92 R 182

-27.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 653

$41.38 R 691

-5.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 103

$5.91 R 98.6

4.06%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.60

$2.14 R 35.68

27.57%

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

$1.12 R 18.61

$1.02 R 16.96

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.24

$0.77 R 12.87

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.55

$2.77 R 46.20

-12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.47

$2.09 R 34.83

18.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.55

$1.12 R 18.64

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.78

$1.03 R 17.26

-1.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.01

$1.44 R 23.97

4.17%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.57

$2.68 R 44.70

-9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 137

$8.68 R 145

-5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.7

$5.47 R 91.4

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 122

$8.29 R 138

-12.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.50

$1.78 R 29.74

9.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.51

$1.36 R 22.64

43.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.40

$1.37 R 22.94

41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.47

$1.52 R 25.38

8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.86

$1.01 R 16.94

53.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.36

$0.95 R 15.86

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.45

$0.84 R 14.02

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 19.00

$1.02 R 17.01

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.8

$2.86 R 47.67

27.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 79.0

$4.68 R 78.2

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.46

$1.25 R 20.94

12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.62

$1.75 R 29.23

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.83

$1.53 R 25.51

16.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 356

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.80

$0.59 R 9.81

-30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.61

$0.47 R 7.77

61.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 129

$3.59 R 60.0

115.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.88

$1.44 R 24.10

3.47%

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

$35.5K R 592.4K

$35.1K R 586.8K

0.97%

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

$32.3K R 539.5K

$29.4K R 490.6K

9.96%

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

$148 R 2,464

$122 R 2,034

21.18%

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

$35.49 R 592

$35.09 R 586

1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 659

$44.10 R 736

-10.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 518

$31.31 R 523

-0.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 144

$1.22 R 20.31

605.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$6.35 R 106

16.38%

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

$317 R 5,284

$148 R 2,464

114.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.8K

$5,983 R 99.9K

28.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 889

$44.35 R 740

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 509

$37.64 R 628

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,653

$113 R 1,879

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,419

$95.5 R 1,594

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,427

$688 R 11.5K

-35.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,251

$391 R 6,527

-4.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.6K

$1,336 R 22.3K

-39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$893 R 14.9K

-16.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.7K

$2,146 R 35.8K

-61.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,435

$1,495 R 25.0K

-62.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.4K

$1,353 R 22.6K

-5.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

10.44

12.84%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for Plettenberg Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

Plettenberg Bay

$391 35% 4.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

Plettenberg Bay

$201 18% 9.7% $22

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

Plettenberg Bay

$186 16.7% 4.2% $8.1

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

Plettenberg Bay

$156 14% 11.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

Plettenberg Bay

$131 11.7% 8.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

Plettenberg Bay

$44 3.9% 3.9% $1.8

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Plettenberg Bay

$9 * 0.8% 72.4% $24

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 $688 in Plettenberg Bay. 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 6% higher in Plettenberg Bay. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban versus $41 in Plettenberg Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Durban vs $186 in Plettenberg Bay – so Plettenberg Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Plettenberg Bay

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

38,126

💱 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

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Between locations

Durban Plettenberg Bay 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Durban
Plettenberg Bay

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 Plettenberg Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Durban and $1,676 in Plettenberg 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $445 there versus $688 in Plettenberg Bay.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban and $41 in Plettenberg Bay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $317 per month in Durban and $148 in Plettenberg Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,130 in Durban and $1,117 in Plettenberg Bay. 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 $1,117 in Plettenberg Bay to $1,130 in Durban. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.