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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,083 per month in Durban vs $977 in Welkom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Durban vs $1,502 in Welkom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,037 per month in Durban vs $2,026 in Welkom, rent included.

Durban costs about 11% more than Welkom, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Durban and Welkom are more affordable than the global median – Durban 19% lower, Welkom 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 R 124

$8.64 R 143

-12.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.22 R 466

$19.76 R 326

42.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 81.6

$4.65 R 76.8

6.24%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R 31.28

$1.66 R 27.33

14.46%

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

$0.90 R 14.81

$0.46 R 7.60

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.00

$0.55 R 9.00

21.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 R 32.54

$1.13 R 18.68

74.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 R 37.29

$1.36 R 22.51

66.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 17.30

$0.92 R 15.22

14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.88

$0.96 R 15.85

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.75

$1.32 R 21.76

9.09%

Eggs

$2.09 R 34.55

$1.64 R 26.99

27.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 R 124

$5.97 R 98.5

25.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R 74.6

$4.18 R 69.0

8.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 R 102

$4.42 R 73.0

39.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.68

$1.41 R 23.34

10.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R 23.12

$1.53 R 25.18

-8.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R 22.00

$1.67 R 27.55

-20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.66

$1.14 R 18.84

14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.60

$1.09 R 18.03

20.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.21

$1.09 R 17.99

11.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 R 16.03

$0.87 R 14.40

11.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.85

$1.16 R 19.18

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R 49.59

$2.23 R 36.78

34.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 R 78.5

$2.44 R 40.27

94.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.94

$1.42 R 23.36

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 R 28.80

$1.65 R 27.20

5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.92

$1.68 R 27.78

-10.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.64 R 638

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R 27.90

$1.44 R 23.74

17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 R 9.62

$1.39 R 22.90

-58.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 R 112

$3.10 R 51.2

118.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.76

$1.15 R 19.05

14.78%

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

$20.5K R 339.0K

$19.1K R 315.0K

7.61%

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

$24.1K R 397.6K

$25.9K R 428.0K

-7.12%

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

$146 R 2,403

$122 R 2,011

19.45%

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

$29.42 R 486

$37.54 R 619

-21.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.24 R 565

$37.73 R 623

-9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.69 R 556

$31.51 R 520

6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.42 R 155

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 R 114

$7.69 R 127

-10.53%

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

$205 R 3,383

$193 R 3,193

5.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,576 R 75.5K

$4,281 R 70.7K

6.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.95 R 692

$50.0 R 825

-16.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.69 R 490

$32.84 R 542

-9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 R 1,592

$86.4 R 1,427

11.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 R 1,180

$88.5 R 1,461

-19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,230

$366 R 6,044

3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 R 6,009

$339 R 5,587

7.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 R 12.5K

$677 R 11.2K

12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 R 9,702

$690 R 11.4K

-14.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$898 R 14.8K

$712 R 11.7K

26.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$597 R 9,849

$675 R 11.1K

-11.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,247 R 20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

11.69

2.74%

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

Last update for Durban: July 14, 2026

Last update for Welkom: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Durban versus $366 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 $28.00 in Durban versus $20.00 in Welkom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $149 – 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 11%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,625 per month in Durban and $1,466 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 $28.00 in Durban and $20.00 in Welkom. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,083 in Durban and $977 in Welkom, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.