Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Port Elizabeth

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,150 a month against $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. The total is higher in Port Elizabeth despite lower rent and utilities.

56

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,150

/mo nomad

Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Port Elizabeth

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

A single person spends $1,150 per month in Durban vs $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Durban $1,150
Port Elizabeth $1,216

A couple spends around $1,777 per month in Durban vs $1,835 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Durban $1,777
Port Elizabeth $1,835

A family of three spends $2,404 per month in Durban vs $2,453 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Durban $2,404
Port Elizabeth $2,453

Durban is about 5% cheaper than Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Durban and Port Elizabeth are more affordable than the global median – Durban 15% lower, Port Elizabeth 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.84 R 129

$11.00 R 181

-28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.75 R 638

$41.67 R 687

-7.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R 96.7

$5.84 R 96.2

0.51%

Cappuccino

$2.63 R 43.30

$2.17 R 35.81

21.20%

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

$1.08 R 17.85

$1.03 R 16.91

4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.72

$0.76 R 12.59

17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R 38.99

$2.69 R 44.37

-11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 R 43.10

$3.24 R 53.3

-19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.33

$1.12 R 18.39

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 16.23

$1.04 R 17.20

-4.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.71

$1.51 R 24.94

-0.66%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.58

$2.81 R 46.35

-16.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 R 133

$8.58 R 141

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 R 83.8

$5.33 R 87.7

-4.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 123

$8.36 R 138

-10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.78

$2.19 R 36.04

-11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.36

$1.49 R 24.58

27.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.42

$1.70 R 28.04

12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.09

$1.81 R 29.74

-9.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.61

$1.66 R 27.41

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 R 23.11

$1.45 R 23.83

-3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.33

$1.26 R 20.72

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.84

$0.99 R 16.39

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.0

$3.26 R 53.8

11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 R 78.2

$4.82 R 79.4

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.27

$1.27 R 20.99

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.45

$1.82 R 30.00

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 R 29.63

$1.10 R 18.17

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.77 R 359

$36.67 R 604

-40.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 R 6.60

$2.04 R 33.68

-80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.47

$0.50 R 8.25

52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 R 124

$8.45 R 139

-10.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.52

$1.48 R 24.38

4.73%

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

$35.0K R 577.2K

$35.8K R 589.5K

-2.08%

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

$31.3K R 515.5K

$34.1K R 562.5K

-8.36%

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

$148 R 2,435

$125 R 2,058

18.32%

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

$35.20 R 580

$34.90 R 575

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.95 R 642

$44.55 R 734

-12.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.79 R 524

$32.20 R 530

-1.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.10 R 150

$23.27 R 383

-60.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 R 121

$10.74 R 177

-31.84%

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

$312 R 5,143

$177 R 2,924

75.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,555 R 124.5K

$6,046 R 99.6K

24.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R 905

$72.4 R 1,193

-24.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 R 509

$38.28 R 631

-19.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R 1,648

$110 R 1,806

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 R 1,389

$95.6 R 1,574

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 R 7,621

$598 R 9,859

-22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,555

$415 R 6,838

-4.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 R 13.5K

$808 R 13.3K

1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 R 13.0K

$682 R 11.2K

15.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$878 R 14.5K

$764 R 12.6K

14.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$580 R 9,557

$522 R 8,604

11.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 R 20.9K

$1,625 R 26.8K

-21.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

11.94

-1.34%

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

Last update for Durban: October 11, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$398 34.6%

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1% 4.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$222 19.3%

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8% 7.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$193 16.7%

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2% 2.1% $4

Eating Out

Durban

$137 11.9%

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1% 16% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$122 10.6%

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7% 16.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4%

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4% 15.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8% 37.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Durban versus $598 in Port Elizabeth. 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 28% higher in Port Elizabeth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Durban versus $42.00 in Port Elizabeth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $197 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

1,050,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durban Port Elizabeth 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Durban
Port Elizabeth

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Elizabeth is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,726 per month in Durban and $1,824 in Port Elizabeth. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,150 in Durban and $1,216 in Port Elizabeth. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,150, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,216. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Port Elizabeth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.