Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George and Durban

For one person, living costs are similar in George and in Durban: $1,110 and $1,130 a month, rent and utilities included.

George, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
George
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,110
/mo nomad
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in George 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 George and in Durban actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,110 per month in George vs $1,130 in Durban, rent included.

  • George $1,110
  • Durban $1,130

A couple spends around $1,847 per month in George vs $1,748 in Durban, rent included.

  • George $1,847
  • Durban $1,748

A family of three spends $2,584 per month in George vs $2,366 in Durban, rent included.

  • George $2,584
  • Durban $2,366

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

Both George and Durban are more affordable than the global median – George 18% lower, Durban 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
George
Durban
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.85 R 181
$7.93 R 132
36.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.91 R 700
$39.14 R 654
7.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.95 R 82.6
$6.15 R 103
-19.51%
Cappuccino
$2.13 R 35.61
$2.73 R 45.64
-21.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 R 17.60
$1.12 R 18.63
-6.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 R 12.96
$0.91 R 15.26
-14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 R 45.14
$2.43 R 40.58
11.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 R 54.3
$2.48 R 41.50
31.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
George
Durban
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 R 19.16
$1.17 R 19.56
-1.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 R 16.93
$1.01 R 16.80
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 R 25.12
$1.50 R 25.03
-
Eggs
$2.79 R 46.67
$2.43 R 40.60
14.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.68 R 145
$8.22 R 137
5.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.29 R 88.3
$5.32 R 88.8
-0.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.70 R 112
$7.28 R 122
-7.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 R 28.02
$1.95 R 32.53
-13.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 R 25.82
$1.95 R 32.53
-20.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 R 24.89
$1.94 R 32.43
-23.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.73 R 28.91
$1.65 R 27.49
4.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 R 28.51
$1.55 R 25.88
10.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.40 R 23.34
$1.46 R 24.38
-4.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 R 20.83
$1.17 R 19.46
6.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 R 16.62
$1.14 R 19.01
-13.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20 R 53.4
$3.64 R 60.9
-12.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.97 R 83.1
$4.73 R 79.1
5.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 R 21.46
$1.41 R 23.48
-9.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 R 29.20
$1.89 R 31.65
-7.41%
🚌 Getting Around
George
Durban
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 R 24.65
$1.79 R 29.86
-17.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.91 R 466
$21.32 R 356
30.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 R 10.68
$0.41 R 6.80
56.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.48 R 7.95
$0.76 R 12.62
-36.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.64 R 144
$7.72 R 129
11.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 R 20.89
$1.49 R 24.90
-16.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K R 499.8K
$35.5K R 592.9K
-15.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.0K R 500.9K
$32.3K R 540.0K
-7.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
George
Durban
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$123 R 2,054
$148 R 2,467
-16.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.56 R 293
$35.49 R 593
-50.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.26 R 773
$39.45 R 659
17.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
George
Durban
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.43 R 508
$31.01 R 518
-1.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.78 R 180
$8.61 R 144
25.20%
Cinema Ticket
$5.93 R 99.0
$7.39 R 124
-19.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
George
Durban
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$139 R 2,326
$317 R 5,288
-56.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,219 R 87.2K
$7,714 R 128.9K
-32.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
George
Durban
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 R 1,204
$53.2 R 889
35.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.64 R 646
$30.50 R 510
26.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 R 1,866
$99.1 R 1,655
12.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 R 1,450
$85.0 R 1,420
2.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
George
Durban
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$429 R 7,169
$445 R 7,434
-3.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$362 R 6,056
$374 R 6,256
-3.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$770 R 12.9K
$814 R 13.6K
-5.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$935 R 15.6K
$744 R 12.4K
25.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$855 R 14.3K
$820 R 13.7K
4.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$690 R 11.5K
$565 R 9,443
22.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
George
Durban
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,339 R 22.4K
$1,280 R 21.4K
4.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.92
11.78
-7.30%

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

Last update for George: 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
George
$362
Durban
$374 3.3% $12
Groceries & Markets
George
$188
Durban
$194 3.1% $5.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
George
$187
Durban
$223 19.2% $36
Eating Out
George
$155
Durban
$140 9.5% $15
Clothing & Footwear
George
$139
Durban
$121 13.4% $19
Sport & Entertainment
George
$42
Durban
$46 8.3% $3.5
Getting Around
George
$37
Durban
$33 11.3% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in George 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 5% higher in George. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in George versus $39 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in George vs $194 in Durban – so George wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇦 George
🇿🇦 Durban
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
12:36 12:36 PM
Same time as George
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
188,580
3,442,361
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • George Durban 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • George
  • 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
George vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,666 per month in George and $1,695 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between George and Durban?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $429 in George and $445 in Durban. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in George or in Durban?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in George and $39 in Durban. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough for either George or Durban?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,110 in George and $1,130 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is George or Durban more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward George – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

George vs other spots: cost of living compared

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