Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Welkom Cost of Living Comparison Between Durban and Welkom

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,150 per month in Durban vs $1,112 in Welkom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Durban vs $1,780 in Welkom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,428 per month in Durban vs $2,449 in Welkom, rent included.

Durban costs about 3% more than Welkom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.10 R 130

$9.08 R 145

-10.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R 640

$22.05 R 353

81.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 92.8

$5.63 R 90.1

3.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 R 44.52

$1.78 R 28.39

56.18%

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

$1.14 R 18.28

$0.49 R 7.81

132.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.90

$0.64 R 10.30

45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 38.76

$1.21 R 19.43

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.37

$1.59 R 25.45

74.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.07

$1.05 R 16.74

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 15.85

$1.07 R 17.14

-7.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.25

$1.45 R 23.27

13.10%

Eggs

$2.44 R 39.08

$1.91 R 30.52

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 138

$6.80 R 109

27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 R 90.2

$4.86 R 77.7

16.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 R 117

$4.89 R 78.1

49.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.12

$1.54 R 24.60

22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.54

$1.68 R 26.86

13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 R 30.82

$1.86 R 29.67

3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.77

$1.20 R 19.24

39.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 24.81

$1.15 R 18.42

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.46

$1.24 R 19.91

23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 19.57

$0.92 R 14.64

32.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 19.94

$1.30 R 20.85

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 59.5

$2.43 R 38.78

53.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 R 77.2

$2.51 R 40.21

92.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.17

$1.53 R 24.45

-1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R 31.54

$1.83 R 29.30

7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 R 30.83

$0.89 R 14.24

116.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.24 R 356

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.21

$0.30 R 4.78

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.28

$0.84 R 13.36

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R 123

$14.80 R 237

-47.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 23.45

$1.49 R 23.86

-1.34%

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

$36.5K R 583.5K

$35.9K R 574.2K

1.62%

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

$33.0K R 527.4K

$34.2K R 547.2K

-3.62%

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

$148 R 2,369

$158 R 2,530

-6.35%

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

$35.25 R 564

$37.80 R 605

-6.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.89 R 622

$38.61 R 617

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.54 R 504

$44.23 R 707

-28.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 R 150

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 107

$7.42 R 119

-9.97%

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

$331 R 5,295

$268 R 4,283

23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,462 R 119.3K

$7,960 R 127.3K

-6.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 R 854

$53.8 R 860

-0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.55 R 489

$32.95 R 527

-7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,615

$96.8 R 1,547

4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 R 1,419

$84.8 R 1,357

4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 R 7,829

$276 R 4,419

77.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 R 6,396

$406 R 6,488

-1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 R 13.8K

$943 R 15.1K

-8.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 R 12.6K

$1,075 R 17.2K

-26.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 R 14.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 R 9,436

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,250 R 20.0K

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 Welkom: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Durban versus $276 in Welkom. 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 $22.00 in Welkom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $167 – making Welkom 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 Welkom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,668 in Welkom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Welkom, 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 $22.00 in Welkom. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Welkom, where all-in costs run around $1,112, than in Durban at $1,150. In Welkom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Welkom – 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 Welkom. 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.