Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Durban outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in East London and in Durban

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in East London and in Durban actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $992 per month in East London vs $1,130 in Durban, rent included.

East London $992
Durban $1,130

A couple spends around $1,611 per month in East London vs $1,748 in Durban, rent included.

East London $1,611
Durban $1,748

A family of three spends $2,230 per month in East London vs $2,366 in Durban, rent included.

East London $2,230
Durban $2,366

East London is about 12% cheaper than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both East London and Durban are more affordable than the global median – East London 27% lower, Durban 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 R 151

$7.93 R 132

14.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 R 635

$39.14 R 650

-2.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 R 92.5

$6.15 R 102

-9.43%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 34.01

$2.73 R 45.37

-24.91%

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

$1.04 R 17.30

$1.12 R 18.52

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.68

$0.91 R 15.16

-16.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.62

$2.43 R 40.33

10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 R 53.3

$2.48 R 41.25

29.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.67

$1.17 R 19.44

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.51

$1.01 R 16.69

-13.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.94

$1.50 R 24.88

-4.00%

Eggs

$2.27 R 37.75

$2.43 R 40.35

-6.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R 139

$8.22 R 136

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 91.2

$5.32 R 88.3

3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 R 111

$7.28 R 121

-7.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.26

$1.95 R 32.33

-25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.39

$1.95 R 32.34

-21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.12

$1.94 R 32.23

-15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.81

$1.65 R 27.32

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.84

$1.55 R 25.72

8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.69

$1.46 R 24.23

-2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.45

$1.17 R 19.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.79

$1.14 R 18.90

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 R 47.99

$3.64 R 60.5

-20.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 R 78.0

$4.73 R 78.6

-0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.76

$1.41 R 23.34

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.35

$1.89 R 31.46

-48.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 R 24.48

$1.79 R 29.68

-17.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.85 R 778

$21.32 R 354

119.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 20.27

$0.41 R 6.76

197.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 R 7.58

$0.76 R 12.55

-39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 R 139

$7.72 R 128

8.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 R 22.41

$1.49 R 24.75

-9.40%

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

$34.7K R 575.7K

$35.5K R 589.3K

-2.31%

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

$29.3K R 486.3K

$32.3K R 536.7K

-9.40%

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

$122 R 2,030

$148 R 2,452

-17.17%

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

$32.64 R 542

$35.49 R 589

-8.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 R 736

$39.45 R 655

12.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 R 656

$31.01 R 515

27.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 R 143

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 R 75.4

$7.39 R 123

-38.57%

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

$177 R 2,941

$317 R 5,256

-44.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,438 R 90.3K

$7,714 R 128.1K

-29.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R 944

$53.2 R 884

6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 R 545

$30.50 R 506

7.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 R 1,213

$99.1 R 1,645

-26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 R 1,580

$85.0 R 1,412

11.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,822

$445 R 7,388

-34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R 4,161

$374 R 6,218

-33.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R 9,011

$814 R 13.5K

-33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.5K

$744 R 12.4K

-14.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 R 13.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 R 9,386

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,664 R 27.6K

$1,280 R 21.2K

30.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

-6.62%

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

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East London

$251 25.3%

Durban

$374 33.1% 49.4% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East London

$199 20.1%

Durban

$223 19.7% 11.7% $23

Groceries & Markets

East London

$180 18.1%

Durban

$194 17.2% 8.1% $14

Eating Out

East London

$141 14.2%

Durban

$140 12.4% 0.9% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

East London

$116 11.7%

Durban

$121 10.7% 3.8% $4.5

Getting Around

East London

$56 5.7%

Durban

$33 2.9% 41.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

East London

$49 4.9%

Durban

$46 4.1% 5.7% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in East London versus $445 in Durban. 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 30% higher in East London, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in East London versus $39 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $194 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 East London

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

Same time as East London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,007

3,442,361

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

East London Durban 460 km

From you

East London
Durban

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

East London vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,487 per month in East London and $1,695 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $445 in Durban.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $992 in East London and $1,130 in Durban. That makes East London about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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