Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Somerset West

For one person, living costs are similar in Durban and in Somerset West: $1,130 and $1,160 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Somerset West

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $1,160 in Somerset West, rent included.

Durban $1,130
Somerset West $1,160

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,888 in Somerset West, rent included.

Durban $1,748
Somerset West $1,888

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,615 in Somerset West, rent included.

Durban $2,366
Somerset West $2,615

Durban is about 3% cheaper than Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Durban and Somerset West are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, Somerset West 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$12.23 R 204

-35.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 652

$45.52 R 759

-14.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 103

$5.44 R 90.7

13.05%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.52

$2.06 R 34.34

32.52%

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

$1.12 R 18.58

$1.06 R 17.74

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.22

$0.84 R 14.01

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.48

$2.58 R 42.91

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.39

$3.27 R 54.5

-24.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.51

$1.03 R 17.13

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.75

$0.98 R 16.39

3.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.96

$2.08 R 34.70

-27.88%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.49

$2.28 R 38.00

6.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 137

$8.34 R 139

-1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.6

$5.18 R 86.3

2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 121

$9.22 R 154

-21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.45

$1.81 R 30.23

7.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.45

$1.89 R 31.47

3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.35

$1.74 R 29.00

11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.42

$1.69 R 28.20

-2.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.81

$1.51 R 25.23

2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.32

$1.53 R 25.48

-4.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.41

$1.29 R 21.42

-9.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.96

$1.07 R 17.80

6.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.7

$3.39 R 56.5

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 78.9

$5.89 R 98.1

-19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.42

$1.36 R 22.73

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.57

$1.75 R 29.17

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.78

$1.11 R 18.47

61.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 355

$60.4 R 1,007

-64.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.78

$0.59 R 9.81

-30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.59

$1.54 R 25.72

-50.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 129

$4.94 R 82.4

56.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.83

$1.42 R 23.68

4.93%

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

$35.5K R 591.4K

$29.3K R 487.5K

21.30%

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

$32.3K R 538.6K

$29.4K R 489.1K

10.10%

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

$148 R 2,460

$82.1 R 1,368

79.88%

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

$35.49 R 591

$29.05 R 484

22.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 657

$40.47 R 674

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 517

$44.16 R 736

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 143

$10.43 R 174

-17.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$7.28 R 121

1.51%

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

$317 R 5,274

$251 R 4,175

26.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.5K

$3,596 R 59.9K

114.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 887

$30.99 R 516

71.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 508

$31.32 R 522

-2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,651

$71.3 R 1,189

38.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,417

$56.3 R 939

50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,414

$643 R 10.7K

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,240

$426 R 7,095

-12.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.6K

$1,341 R 22.3K

-39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$937 R 15.6K

-20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.7K

$1,221 R 20.3K

-32.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,419

$892 R 14.9K

-36.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.3K

$1,418 R 23.6K

-9.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

10.12

16.40%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

Somerset West

$426 36.7% 13.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

Somerset West

$152 13.1% 31.9% $71

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

Somerset West

$200 17.2% 2.8% $5.5

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

Somerset West

$166 14.3% 18.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

Somerset West

$86 7.4% 29.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

Somerset West

$59 5.1% 28.2% $13

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Somerset West

$73 6.3% 124% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Durban versus $643 in Somerset West. 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 11% higher in Somerset West. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban versus $46 in Somerset West. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $200 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

55,166

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Durban Somerset West 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Durban
Somerset West

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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Somerset West is pricier by about 3%, 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 $1,740 in Somerset West. 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 $643 in Somerset West.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,130 in Durban and $1,160 in Somerset West. That’s a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,130 in Durban and $1,160 in Somerset West, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Somerset West makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.