Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Ubon Ratchathani

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani: $781 a month against $1,166 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ubon Ratchathani
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Ubon Ratchathani Living Index

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Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,166

/mo nomad

Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durban and in Ubon Ratchathani

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

A single person spends $1,166 per month in Durban vs $781 in Ubon Ratchathani, rent included.

Durban $1,166
Ubon Ratchathani $781

A couple spends around $1,788 per month in Durban vs $1,444 in Ubon Ratchathani, rent included.

Durban $1,788
Ubon Ratchathani $1,444

A family of three spends $2,411 per month in Durban vs $2,106 in Ubon Ratchathani, rent included.

Durban $2,411
Ubon Ratchathani $2,106

Durban costs about 49% more than Ubon Ratchathani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Durban and Ubon Ratchathani are more affordable than the global median – Durban 14% lower, Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.00 R 132

$4.66 ฿156

71.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.82 R 640

$20.60 ฿689

88.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 R 101

$7.41 ฿248

-17.14%

Cappuccino

$2.62 R 43.15

$1.81 ฿60.3

44.75%

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

$1.10 R 18.19

$1.30 ฿43.60

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 14.92

$0.54 ฿17.99

68.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 R 40.48

$2.40 ฿80.2

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.25

$3.62 ฿121

-29.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.55

$1.81 ฿60.6

-34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 R 15.38

$1.46 ฿48.84

-36.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.61

$1.38 ฿46.15

12.32%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.49

$2.05 ฿68.6

14.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R 140

$17.08 ฿571

-50.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 R 85.9

$2.35 ฿78.6

121.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.19 R 119

$11.02 ฿368

-34.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R 33.21

$2.99 ฿99.9

-32.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.10

$1.01 ฿33.59

87.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.79

$2.13 ฿71.2

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.42

$2.06 ฿68.9

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.99

$1.42 ฿47.54

7.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.89

$1.06 ฿35.58

36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.23

$1.12 ฿37.44

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.88

$0.49 ฿16.51

134.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 59.1

$4.25 ฿142

-15.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 R 82.3

$13.55 ฿453

-63.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.37

$1.66 ฿55.4

-10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 31.93

$2.85 ฿95.1

-31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 R 30.60

$0.85 ฿28.51

118.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.23 R 366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.43

$1.21 ฿40.40

-62.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R 12.23

$1.04 ฿34.82

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 R 129

$6.56 ฿219

19.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.80

$1.22 ฿40.86

28.69%

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

$36.1K R 594.9K

$28.1K ฿939.2K

28.48%

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

$33.2K R 546.3K

$31.4K ฿1.1M

5.51%

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

$151 R 2,482

$81.4 ฿2,719

85.19%

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

$36.50 R 601

$12.16 ฿407

200.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.27 R 647

$14.40 ฿481

172.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 R 530

$47.95 ฿1,603

-32.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.90 R 147

$13.14 ฿439

-32.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 R 123

$6.70 ฿224

11.94%

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

$315 R 5,184

$497 ฿16.6K

-36.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,763 R 127.9K

$12.4K ฿413.4K

-37.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 R 895

$56.4 ฿1,885

-3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.58 R 504

$28.54 ฿954

7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 R 1,627

$85.2 ฿2,847

15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 R 1,370

$75.8 ฿2,534

9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 R 7,738

$235 ฿7,843

100.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 R 6,666

$143 ฿4,785

182.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 R 13.6K

$1,049 ฿35.1K

-21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 R 12.9K

$724 ฿24.2K

8.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$906 R 14.9K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-56.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 R 9,707

$1,243 ฿41.5K

-52.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,296 R 21.3K

$353 ฿11.8K

266.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

5.57

111.49%

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

Last update for Durban: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durban

$405 34.7%

Ubon Ratchathani

$143 18.3% 64.6% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durban

$226 19.4%

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8% 52.3% $119

Groceries & Markets

Durban

$194 16.7%

Ubon Ratchathani

$240 30.8% 23.6% $46

Eating Out

Durban

$139 12%

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8% 22.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Durban

$120 10.3%

Ubon Ratchathani

$111 14.2% 7.8% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Durban

$47 4.1%

Ubon Ratchathani

$61 7.9% 30.1% $14

Getting Around

Durban

$34 2.9%

Ubon Ratchathani

$9.8 * 1.3% 70.9% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Durban versus $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. 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 267% 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 $39.00 in Durban versus $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Durban vs $240 in Ubon Ratchathani – so Durban wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durban

🇹🇭 Ubon Ratchathani

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

5 h ahead of Durban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,442,361

74,977

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Durban Ubon Ratchathani 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Durban
Ubon Ratchathani

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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,749 per month in Durban and $1,171 in Ubon Ratchathani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani, 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 $39.00 in Durban and $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Durban – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ubon Ratchathani, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Durban at $1,166. In Ubon Ratchathani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubon Ratchathani. 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.