Cost of Living Comparison Between George and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between George and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,158 per month in George vs $1,121 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,912 per month in George vs $1,782 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in George vs $2,442 in Durban, rent included.

George costs about 3% more than Durban, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both George and Durban are more affordable than the global median – George 15% lower, Durban 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 R 181

$7.97 R 130

38.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.60 R 714

$39.63 R 649

10.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 R 83.7

$6.11 R 100

-16.37%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R 35.84

$2.82 R 46.23

-22.34%

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

$1.04 R 17.09

$1.16 R 19.05

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.53

$0.87 R 14.17

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R 46.51

$2.43 R 39.80

16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 R 54.5

$2.58 R 42.19

29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 18.92

$1.25 R 20.54

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.86

$1.04 R 17.07

4.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.73

$1.59 R 26.03

-5.03%

Eggs

$2.77 R 45.31

$2.50 R 40.92

10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 R 143

$8.58 R 140

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 R 92.3

$5.34 R 87.4

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 R 110

$7.08 R 116

-5.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.60

$1.93 R 31.61

-12.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.87

$1.91 R 31.32

-17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.91

$1.99 R 32.65

-20.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.21

$1.63 R 26.72

1.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.67

$1.51 R 24.73

11.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.26

$1.47 R 24.04

0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.09

$1.24 R 20.39

8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.83

$1.22 R 20.05

-15.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.4

$3.78 R 61.9

-13.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 R 80.8

$5.01 R 82.1

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.62

$1.43 R 23.50

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.49

$1.97 R 32.34

-8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.96

$1.89 R 31.03

-19.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 R 467

$22.03 R 361

29.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 R 10.82

$0.47 R 7.70

40.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.45

$0.71 R 11.58

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 R 144

$7.76 R 127

13.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.86

$1.50 R 24.63

-15.33%

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

$31.2K R 510.2K

$35.7K R 584.6K

-12.72%

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

$29.7K R 485.9K

$32.2K R 527.6K

-7.90%

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

$125 R 2,050

$142 R 2,325

-11.83%

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

$18.37 R 301

$33.63 R 551

-45.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.20 R 757

$39.63 R 649

16.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.19 R 511

$32.30 R 529

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.56 R 206

$9.25 R 151

35.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 R 100

$6.75 R 111

-9.33%

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

$143 R 2,337

$326 R 5,342

-56.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,417 R 88.7K

$7,698 R 126.1K

-29.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 R 1,210

$55.2 R 904

33.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 R 639

$30.38 R 498

28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,850

$101 R 1,653

11.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 R 1,454

$87.4 R 1,431

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,236

$483 R 7,907

-8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 R 6,180

$374 R 6,122

0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 R 13.1K

$825 R 13.5K

-2.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 R 15.5K

$789 R 12.9K

20.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$889 R 14.6K

$890 R 14.6K

-0.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$685 R 11.2K

$581 R 9,519

17.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 R 22.7K

$1,269 R 20.8K

9.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.81

-7.54%

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

Last update for George: September 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $442 in George versus $483 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 9% higher in George, 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 $44.00 in George versus $40.00 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in George vs $198 in Durban – so George 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

George vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – George is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,737 per month in George and $1,681 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durban, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,158 in George and $1,121 in Durban. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,121, than in George at $1,158. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in George it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Durban – 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 Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, George makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.