Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeffreys Bay and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeffreys Bay and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Jeffreys Bay vs $1,121 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Jeffreys Bay vs $1,782 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,247 per month in Jeffreys Bay vs $2,442 in Durban, rent included.

Jeffreys Bay is about 5% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Jeffreys Bay and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Jeffreys Bay 22% lower, Durban 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 R 125

$7.97 R 130

-4.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.95 R 458

$39.63 R 649

-29.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 R 99.6

$6.11 R 100

-0.49%

Cappuccino

$1.93 R 31.63

$2.82 R 46.23

-31.56%

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

$0.75 R 12.25

$1.16 R 19.05

-35.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R 11.08

$0.87 R 14.17

-21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R 32.97

$2.43 R 39.80

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R 33.66

$2.58 R 42.19

-20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.18

$1.25 R 20.54

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.64

$1.04 R 17.07

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.70

$1.59 R 26.03

-5.03%

Eggs

$2.78 R 45.57

$2.50 R 40.92

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 R 112

$8.58 R 140

-20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 84.2

$5.34 R 87.4

-3.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.83 R 128

$7.08 R 116

10.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.64

$1.93 R 31.61

9.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.80

$1.91 R 31.32

-20.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.46

$1.99 R 32.65

-12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.25

$1.63 R 26.72

13.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.45

$1.51 R 24.73

19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.84

$1.47 R 24.04

-13.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R 20.99

$1.24 R 20.39

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.71

$1.22 R 20.05

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.6

$3.78 R 61.9

-13.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.87 R 63.5

$5.01 R 82.1

-22.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.43

$1.43 R 23.50

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.68

$1.97 R 32.34

-8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.24

$1.89 R 31.03

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 R 361

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.83

$0.47 R 7.70

27.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 R 7.82

$0.71 R 11.58

-32.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 R 139

$7.76 R 127

9.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 24.11

$1.50 R 24.63

-2.00%

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

$21.9K R 358.2K

$35.7K R 584.6K

-38.72%

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

$18.0K R 295.0K

$32.2K R 527.6K

-44.10%

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

$129 R 2,113

$142 R 2,325

-9.12%

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

$36.46 R 597

$33.63 R 551

8.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.45 R 777

$39.63 R 649

19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.92 R 539

$32.30 R 529

1.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.10 R 99.9

$9.25 R 151

-34.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.19 R 52.3

$6.75 R 111

-52.74%

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

$145 R 2,380

$326 R 5,342

-55.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,266 R 102.6K

$7,698 R 126.1K

-18.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 R 1,223

$55.2 R 904

35.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 R 651

$30.38 R 498

30.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,860

$101 R 1,653

12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 R 1,639

$87.4 R 1,431

14.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R 7,180

$483 R 7,907

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 R 5,648

$374 R 6,122

-7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.2K

$825 R 13.5K

-2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$789 R 12.9K

-8.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$884 R 14.5K

$890 R 14.6K

-0.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$693 R 11.4K

$581 R 9,519

19.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,269 R 20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.81

1.10%

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

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: September 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Jeffreys Bay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Jeffreys Bay versus $40.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $198 – making Jeffreys Bay 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

Jeffreys Bay vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 6%, 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 $1,591 per month in Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay, 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 Jeffreys Bay and $40.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeffreys Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in Durban at $1,121. In Jeffreys Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeffreys Bay – 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 Jeffreys Bay. 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.