Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Secunda Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Secunda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,150 per month in Durban vs $1,117 in Secunda, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Durban vs $1,685 in Secunda, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,428 per month in Durban vs $2,253 in Secunda, rent included.

Durban costs about 3% more than Secunda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Durban and Secunda are more affordable than the global median – Durban 16% lower, Secunda 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.10 R 130

$6.09 R 97.4

33.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R 640

$31.27 R 500

27.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 92.8

$5.71 R 91.3

1.58%

Cappuccino

$2.78 R 44.52

$2.36 R 37.79

17.80%

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

$1.14 R 18.28

$0.85 R 13.67

34.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.90

$0.52 R 8.35

78.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 38.76

$1.10 R 17.65

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.37

$1.35 R 21.67

105.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.07

$1.23 R 19.68

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 15.85

$0.93 R 14.89

6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.25

$1.87 R 29.94

-12.30%

Eggs

$2.44 R 39.08

$2.61 R 41.74

-6.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 138

$8.27 R 132

4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 R 90.2

$5.10 R 81.5

10.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 R 117

$7.35 R 118

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.12

$1.88 R 30.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.54

$1.68 R 26.95

13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 30.82

$1.84 R 29.45

4.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.77

$1.77 R 28.30

-5.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 24.81

$1.30 R 20.82

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.46

$1.35 R 21.55

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 19.57

$1.23 R 19.61

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 19.94

$1.38 R 22.13

-9.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 59.5

$3.40 R 54.3

9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 R 77.2

$5.33 R 85.3

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.17

$1.58 R 25.23

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R 31.54

$1.98 R 31.68

-0.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 R 30.83

$1.57 R 25.12

22.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.24 R 356

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.21

$0.32 R 5.15

40.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.28

$0.79 R 12.63

-2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 123

$14.76 R 236

-47.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.45

$1.55 R 24.76

-5.16%

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

$36.5K R 583.5K

$37.3K R 596.0K

-2.09%

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

$33.0K R 527.4K

$34.7K R 555.1K

-4.98%

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

$148 R 2,369

$154 R 2,458

-3.62%

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

$35.25 R 564

$38.13 R 610

-7.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.89 R 622

$38.26 R 612

1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.54 R 504

$32.74 R 524

-3.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 R 150

$12.51 R 200

-24.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 107

$7.51 R 120

-11.05%

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

$331 R 5,295

$94.0 R 1,503

252.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,462 R 119.3K

$5,642 R 90.2K

32.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 R 854

$54.1 R 864

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.55 R 489

$32.79 R 524

-6.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,615

$93.6 R 1,497

7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 R 1,419

$86.3 R 1,381

2.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 R 7,829

$408 R 6,525

19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 R 6,396

$384 R 6,138

4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 R 13.8K

$763 R 12.2K

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 R 12.6K

$760 R 12.2K

3.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 R 14.9K

$890 R 14.2K

4.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 R 9,436

$657 R 10.5K

-10.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,250 R 20.0K

$1,521 R 24.3K

-17.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.66

11.34

2.82%

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

Last update for Durban: August 30, 2026

Last update for Secunda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Durban versus $408 in Secunda. 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 22% higher in Secunda, 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 $40.00 in Durban versus $31.00 in Secunda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $198 – making Secunda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Secunda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,726 per month in Durban and $1,675 in Secunda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Secunda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Durban and $31.00 in Secunda. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Secunda, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Durban at $1,150. In Secunda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Secunda – 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 Secunda. 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.