Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Uitenhage Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Uitenhage

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,150 per month in Durban vs $1,148 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Durban vs $1,819 in Uitenhage, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,428 per month in Durban vs $2,490 in Uitenhage, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.10 R 129

$11.37 R 181

-28.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R 638

$43.96 R 701

-9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 92.6

$5.94 R 94.7

-2.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 R 44.41

$2.24 R 35.78

24.11%

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

$1.14 R 18.24

$1.05 R 16.79

8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.86

$0.76 R 12.12

22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 38.65

$2.84 R 45.25

-14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.25

$3.34 R 53.3

-17.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.01

$1.16 R 18.49

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 15.81

$0.88 R 14.00

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.18

$1.48 R 23.69

10.81%

Eggs

$2.44 R 38.98

$2.92 R 46.54

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 138

$8.85 R 141

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 R 90.0

$5.45 R 86.9

3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 R 116

$8.91 R 142

-18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.04

$2.19 R 34.87

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.46

$1.59 R 25.42

20.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 30.74

$1.68 R 26.74

14.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.70

$1.85 R 29.50

-9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 24.75

$1.74 R 27.69

-10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.39

$1.47 R 23.44

4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 19.52

$1.28 R 20.43

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 19.89

$1.07 R 16.99

16.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 59.3

$3.05 R 48.57

21.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 R 77.0

$3.81 R 60.7

26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.11

$1.30 R 20.77

16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R 31.46

$1.79 R 28.63

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 R 30.75

$1.61 R 25.63

19.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.24 R 355

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.19

$0.60 R 9.62

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.24

$0.52 R 8.27

48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 123

$8.96 R 143

-13.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.39

$1.41 R 22.47

4.26%

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

$36.5K R 582.0K

$36.6K R 584.6K

-0.45%

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

$33.0K R 526.0K

$34.8K R 555.5K

-5.30%

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

$148 R 2,363

$125 R 1,986

18.99%

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

$35.25 R 562

$35.42 R 565

-0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.89 R 620

$46.14 R 736

-15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.54 R 503

$33.59 R 536

-6.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 R 150

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 107

$10.87 R 173

-38.55%

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

$331 R 5,281

$185 R 2,950

79.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,462 R 119.0K

$6,268 R 100.0K

19.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 R 852

$72.6 R 1,158

-26.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.55 R 487

$40.97 R 654

-25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,611

$116 R 1,856

-13.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 R 1,415

$102 R 1,623

-12.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 R 7,809

$412 R 6,575

18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 R 6,379

$379 R 6,045

5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 R 13.8K

$749 R 12.0K

15.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 R 12.6K

$767 R 12.2K

3.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 R 14.9K

$892 R 14.2K

4.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 R 9,411

$653 R 10.4K

-9.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,250 R 19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.66

11.94

-2.35%

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

Last update for Durban: August 30, 2026

Last update for Uitenhage: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Durban versus $412 in Uitenhage. 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 $40.00 in Durban versus $44.00 in Uitenhage. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Durban vs $199 in Uitenhage – so Uitenhage wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Uitenhage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,726 per month in Durban and $1,722 in Uitenhage. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uitenhage, 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 $44.00 in Uitenhage. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $331 per month in Durban and $185 in Uitenhage. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Uitenhage, where all-in costs run around $1,148, than in Durban at $1,150. In Uitenhage it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Uitenhage – 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 Uitenhage. 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.