Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Springs: $979 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Springs
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Springs Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Springs

🇿🇦 South Africa

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Springs

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Durban vs $979 in Springs, rent included.

Durban $1,130
Springs $979

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Durban vs $1,582 in Springs, rent included.

Durban $1,748
Springs $1,582

A family of three spends $2,366 per month in Durban vs $2,184 in Springs, rent included.

Durban $2,366
Springs $2,184

Durban costs about 15% more than Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Durban and Springs are more affordable than the global median – Durban 17% lower, Springs 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 R 132

$9.15 R 152

-13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 650

$35.40 R 588

10.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

$5.18 R 86.0

18.73%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 45.38

$2.19 R 36.44

24.66%

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

$1.12 R 18.52

$0.96 R 15.89

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.17

$0.67 R 11.05

35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 40.35

$1.85 R 30.78

31.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.26

$2.13 R 35.43

16.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.45

$1.16 R 19.26

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.70

$1.05 R 17.50

-3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.88

$1.77 R 29.45

-15.25%

Eggs

$2.43 R 40.36

$2.41 R 39.97

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R 136

$8.43 R 140

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 R 88.3

$5.00 R 83.0

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R 121

$7.25 R 120

0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.34

$1.28 R 21.29

52.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.35

$1.08 R 17.94

80.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.24

$1.71 R 28.40

13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.33

$1.20 R 19.87

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.73

$1.06 R 17.60

46.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.24

$1.17 R 19.37

24.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.35

$1.21 R 20.18

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.90

$0.74 R 12.26

54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 R 60.5

$3.12 R 51.8

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R 78.6

$4.03 R 66.9

17.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.35

$1.12 R 18.58

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R 31.47

$1.71 R 28.39

10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 R 29.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 354

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 R 6.76

$0.29 R 4.80

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.55

$0.80 R 13.37

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 128

$14.37 R 239

-46.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.75

$1.48 R 24.56

0.68%

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

$35.5K R 589.5K

$35.6K R 591.4K

-0.33%

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

$32.3K R 536.8K

$32.7K R 543.5K

-1.22%

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

$148 R 2,452

$148 R 2,460

-0.32%

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

$35.49 R 590

$37.52 R 623

-5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 655

$35.28 R 586

11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 R 515

$39.37 R 654

-21.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 143

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 R 123

$7.31 R 121

1.09%

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

$317 R 5,257

$89.2 R 1,481

255.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 R 128.1K

$1,794 R 29.8K

330.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 R 884

$54.1 R 898

-1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 R 507

$31.78 R 528

-4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R 1,645

$91.6 R 1,521

8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 R 1,412

$82.0 R 1,363

3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 R 7,390

$284 R 4,721

56.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,220

$275 R 4,571

36.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 R 13.5K

$712 R 11.8K

14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.4K

$694 R 11.5K

7.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.6K

$1,481 R 24.6K

-44.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,389

$692 R 11.5K

-18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 R 21.3K

$1,145 R 19.0K

11.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

10.75

9.58%

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

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Last update for Springs: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$374 33.1%

Springs

$275 28.1% 26.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$223 19.7%

Springs

$221 22.6% 0.8% $1.7

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 17.2%

Springs

$173 17.7% 10.9% $21

Eating Out

Durban

$140 12.4%

Springs

$135 13.8% 3.4% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$121 10.7%

Springs

$117 11.9% 3.1% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$46 4.1%

Springs

$54 5.5% 17.9% $8.2

Getting Around

Durban

$33 2.9%

Springs

$4.3 * 0.4% 86.8% $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 $284 in Springs. 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 12% higher in Durban, 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 in Durban versus $35 in Springs. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $173 – making Springs the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇿🇦 Springs

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

Same time as Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

2,996

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Durban Springs 470 km

From you

Durban
Springs

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 Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 15%, 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 $1,469 in Springs. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Springs, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $445 in Durban.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Durban and $35 in Springs. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Durban, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Springs – 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 Springs. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Durban makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.