Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Randburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Randburg: $1,061 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Randburg
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Randburg Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Randburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Randburg

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $1,061 in Randburg, rent included.

Durban $1,130
Randburg $1,061

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,716 in Randburg, rent included.

Durban $1,748
Randburg $1,716

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,370 in Randburg, rent included.

Durban $2,366
Randburg $2,370

Durban costs about 6% more than Randburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Durban and Randburg are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, Randburg 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$10.36 R 173

-23.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 654

$44.80 R 749

-12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 103

$5.29 R 88.3

16.26%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.64

$2.49 R 41.53

9.64%

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

$1.12 R 18.63

$1.27 R 21.29

-11.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.26

$0.91 R 15.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.58

$2.57 R 43.02

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.50

$3.29 R 54.9

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.56

$1.27 R 21.27

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.80

$1.14 R 19.06

-11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.03

$1.70 R 28.43

-11.76%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.60

$2.74 R 45.85

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 137

$8.57 R 143

-4.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.8

$5.62 R 93.8

-5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 122

$7.17 R 120

1.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.53

$1.98 R 33.13

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.53

$1.60 R 26.68

21.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.43

$1.81 R 30.22

7.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.49

$1.61 R 26.92

2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.88

$1.69 R 28.27

-8.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.38

$1.66 R 27.81

-12.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.46

$1.15 R 19.29

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 19.01

$1.29 R 21.56

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.9

$3.42 R 57.1

6.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 79.1

$4.96 R 82.8

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.48

$1.51 R 25.28

-6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.65

$2.16 R 36.01

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 356

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.80

$0.29 R 4.83

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.62

$0.92 R 15.37

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 129

$14.52 R 243

-46.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.90

$1.48 R 24.66

0.68%

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

$35.5K R 592.9K

$35.6K R 594.2K

-0.22%

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

$32.3K R 540.0K

$34.7K R 579.2K

-6.78%

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

$148 R 2,467

$152 R 2,535

-2.70%

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

$35.49 R 593

$38.96 R 651

-8.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 659

$37.21 R 622

6.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 518

$20.38 R 341

52.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 144

$4.46 R 74.6

93.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 124

$7.35 R 123

0.54%

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

$317 R 5,288

$262 R 4,377

20.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.9K

$5,433 R 90.8K

41.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 889

$53.8 R 899

-1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 510

$45.23 R 756

-32.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,655

$113 R 1,882

-12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,420

$82.7 R 1,381

2.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,434

$313 R 5,235

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,256

$302 R 5,042

24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.6K

$616 R 10.3K

32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$713 R 11.9K

4.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.7K

$608 R 10.2K

34.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,443

$764 R 12.8K

-26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.4K

$1,885 R 31.5K

-32.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

11.34

3.88%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for Randburg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

Randburg

$302 28.4% 19.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

Randburg

$228 21.5% 2.4% $5.3

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

Randburg

$202 19.1% 4.2% $8.2

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

Randburg

$157 14.8% 12% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

Randburg

$132 12.5% 9.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

Randburg

$35 3.3% 23.4% $11

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Randburg

$4.9 * 0.5% 85% $28

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 $313 in Randburg. 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 47% higher in Randburg, 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 $45 in Randburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $202 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Randburg

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

335,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durban Randburg 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Durban
Randburg

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 Randburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Durban and $1,592 in Randburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Randburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $445 in Durban.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban and $45 in Randburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Durban – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,130 in Durban and $1,061 in Randburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Randburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.