Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Scottburgh

For one person, living costs are similar in Durban and in Scottburgh: $1,120 and $1,105 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
Learn more

Durban Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Scottburgh
Learn more

Scottburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,120

/mo nomad

Scottburgh

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Scottburgh

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

A single person spends $1,120 per month in Durban vs $1,105 in Scottburgh, rent included.

Durban $1,120
Scottburgh $1,105

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Durban vs $1,736 in Scottburgh, rent included.

Durban $1,725
Scottburgh $1,736

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Durban vs $2,368 in Scottburgh, rent included.

Durban $2,330
Scottburgh $2,368

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 R 142

$8.66 R 144

-1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 R 611

$36.96 R 613

-0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 R 100

$6.09 R 101

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$2.66 R 44.16

$2.59 R 43.05

2.70%

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

$1.06 R 17.63

$1.10 R 18.28

-3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.91

$0.82 R 13.53

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.37

$2.35 R 38.98

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.52

$2.34 R 38.83

4.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.69

$1.24 R 20.50

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.98

$0.96 R 15.91

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.76

$1.49 R 24.70

Eggs

$2.26 R 37.42

$2.29 R 37.98

-1.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 R 134

$8.04 R 133

0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R 82.9

$5.21 R 86.5

-4.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 R 125

$7.26 R 120

4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 R 32.89

$1.97 R 32.71

0.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.21

$1.86 R 30.92

4.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 32.04

$1.94 R 32.24

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.05

$1.60 R 26.61

1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.83

$1.51 R 25.03

-4.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.67

$1.37 R 22.69

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 20.07

$1.16 R 19.20

4.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 19.57

$1.18 R 19.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 R 58.4

$3.54 R 58.7

-0.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 R 78.7

$4.87 R 80.8

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.52

$1.50 R 24.84

-1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.20

$2.02 R 33.51

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 R 29.37

$1.88 R 31.26

-5.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 R 363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 R 6.66

$0.44 R 7.24

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R 11.80

$0.71 R 11.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R 129

$7.73 R 128

0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 R 25.09

$1.50 R 24.85

0.67%

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

$35.9K R 595.0K

$35.9K R 596.4K

-0.24%

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

$33.4K R 554.2K

$34.1K R 565.6K

-2.03%

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

$147 R 2,443

$149 R 2,473

-1.21%

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

$38.50 R 639

$38.28 R 635

0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.93 R 629

$39.10 R 649

-2.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 R 502

$30.86 R 512

-2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.01 R 149

$13.26 R 220

-32.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 R 120

$7.54 R 125

-3.71%

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

$309 R 5,131

$311 R 5,166

-0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,433 R 123.3K

$7,387 R 122.6K

0.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R 873

$52.5 R 871

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.16 R 451

$27.25 R 452

-0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 R 1,589

$95.5 R 1,584

0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 R 1,358

$83.8 R 1,391

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 7,041

$361 R 5,996

17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 6,084

$368 R 6,113

-0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 R 13.0K

$821 R 13.6K

-4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 R 12.0K

$792 R 13.1K

-8.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$836 R 13.9K

$759 R 12.6K

10.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$575 R 9,546

$715 R 11.9K

-19.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,301 R 21.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

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

Last update for Durban: November 2, 2026

Last update for Scottburgh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$367 32.8%

Scottburgh

$368 33.4% 0.5% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$224 20%

Scottburgh

$226 20.5% 1.2% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$193 17.2%

Scottburgh

$193 17.5% 0.3% $0.5

Eating Out

Durban

$143 12.8%

Scottburgh

$143 12.9% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$116 10.3%

Scottburgh

$117 10.6% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$45 4%

Scottburgh

$46 4.2% 2.6% $1.2

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Scottburgh

$12 * 1% 65.1% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Durban versus $361 in Scottburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

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

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Scottburgh

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

23,949

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Durban Scottburgh 53 km

From you

Durban
Scottburgh

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 Scottburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,680 per month in Durban and $1,657 in Scottburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scottburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $361 there versus $424 in Durban.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,120 in Durban and $1,105 in Scottburgh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Durban has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,105 in Scottburgh to $1,120 in Durban. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.