Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,068 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,873 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,560 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,052 in Durban, rent included.

Hillcrest costs about 21% more than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Hillcrest and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Hillcrest 3% lower, Durban 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 R 127

$7.36 R 123

3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.38 R 476

$27.78 R 466

2.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 R 83.6

$5.18 R 86.9

-3.86%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 33.31

$1.92 R 32.14

3.65%

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

$0.94 R 15.82

$0.87 R 14.64

8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.28

$0.68 R 11.33

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R 32.63

$1.91 R 32.01

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R 36.45

$2.27 R 38.03

-4.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 R 15.33

$1.00 R 16.73

-9.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 R 9.80

$0.96 R 16.06

-39.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 R 19.29

$1.43 R 23.93

-19.58%

Eggs

$2.21 R 37.05

$2.13 R 35.71

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 R 123

$7.47 R 125

-1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 R 66.7

$4.60 R 77.1

-13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R 106

$6.27 R 105

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.64

$1.57 R 26.38

-10.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.96

$1.37 R 22.94

-17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 R 22.07

$1.32 R 22.18

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.75

$1.31 R 21.99

-0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 21.05

$1.27 R 21.34

-0.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.61

$1.18 R 19.79

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 R 17.14

$0.98 R 16.45

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.61

$0.90 R 15.15

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 R 47.22

$3.02 R 50.7

-6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 R 76.5

$4.90 R 82.2

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.73

$1.46 R 24.45

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 R 28.37

$1.74 R 29.16

-2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 28.24

$1.50 R 25.12

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.01 R 637

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 R 27.57

$1.65 R 27.64

-0.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 R 9.67

$0.58 R 9.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 R 110

$6.62 R 111

-0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R 22.16

$1.33 R 22.27

-0.75%

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

$19.8K R 332.8K

$20.4K R 342.7K

-2.90%

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

$23.9K R 401.6K

$24.1K R 404.3K

-0.66%

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

$145 R 2,437

$142 R 2,386

2.13%

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

$29.75 R 499

$29.90 R 501

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.40 R 560

$34.35 R 576

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.61 R 513

$34.01 R 570

-10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 R 156

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 R 114

$6.64 R 111

1.96%

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

$208 R 3,496

$203 R 3,412

2.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,538 R 76.1K

$4,644 R 77.9K

-2.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.15 R 707

$42.65 R 715

-1.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 R 501

$30.30 R 508

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 R 1,602

$95.7 R 1,605

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 R 1,219

$71.7 R 1,202

1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 R 6,036

$374 R 6,264

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 R 11.3K

$358 R 6,006

88.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 R 11.6K

$753 R 12.6K

-8.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 R 19.0K

$593 R 9,950

91.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$707 R 11.9K

$945 R 15.8K

-25.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 R 9,923

$680 R 11.4K

-13.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,262 R 21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

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

Last update for Hillcrest: April 28, 2026

Last update for Durban: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $360 in Hillcrest versus $374 in Durban. 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 Hillcrest versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $154 vs $167 – making Hillcrest 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

Hillcrest vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hillcrest is pricier by about 21%, 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 $1,940 per month in Hillcrest and $1,601 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Hillcrest and $28.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,293 in Hillcrest and $1,068 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillcrest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.