Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,083 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,560 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,476 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,037 in Durban, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 6% more than Durban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Johannesburg and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 14% lower, Durban 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 R 184

$7.52 R 124

48.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 R 746

$28.22 R 466

60.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 R 80.7

$4.94 R 81.6

-1.01%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.74

$1.90 R 31.28

14.21%

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

$0.99 R 16.29

$0.90 R 14.81

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.70

$0.67 R 11.00

14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 R 44.16

$1.97 R 32.54

36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.80

$2.26 R 37.29

14.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.12

$1.05 R 17.30

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 18.00

$0.96 R 15.88

13.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.24

$1.44 R 23.75

14.58%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.46

$2.09 R 34.55

17.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 139

$7.50 R 124

12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 R 78.7

$4.52 R 74.6

5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$6.16 R 102

6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.52

$1.56 R 25.68

7.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.00

$1.40 R 23.12

7.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.33 R 22.00

12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.53

$1.31 R 21.66

22.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.66

$1.31 R 21.60

13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 22.98

$1.22 R 20.21

13.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.96

$0.97 R 16.03

12.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.52

$0.96 R 15.85

-2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R 52.1

$3.00 R 49.59

5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R 99.7

$4.75 R 78.5

27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.39 R 22.94

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.66

$1.74 R 28.80

-3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.34

$1.51 R 24.92

13.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,176

$38.64 R 638

84.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 18.23

$1.69 R 27.90

-34.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.90

$0.58 R 9.62

65.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.4

$6.78 R 112

-39.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.15

$1.32 R 21.76

-3.03%

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

$22.2K R 366.1K

$20.5K R 339.0K

8.00%

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

$23.5K R 388.6K

$24.1K R 397.6K

-2.26%

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

$118 R 1,940

$146 R 2,403

-19.24%

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

$40.44 R 667

$29.42 R 486

37.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 R 695

$34.24 R 565

22.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.88 R 559

$33.69 R 556

0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 R 224

$9.42 R 155

44.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R 117

$6.88 R 114

2.76%

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

$204 R 3,366

$205 R 3,383

-0.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,903 R 80.9K

$4,576 R 75.5K

7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R 839

$41.95 R 692

21.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.65 R 555

$29.69 R 490

13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R 1,524

$96.4 R 1,592

-4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 R 1,308

$71.5 R 1,180

10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R 6,830

$377 R 6,230

9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,028

$364 R 6,009

0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 R 15.0K

$759 R 12.5K

19.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.4K

$588 R 9,702

17.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,043 R 17.2K

$898 R 14.8K

16.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 R 12.6K

$597 R 9,849

27.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.6K

$1,247 R 20.6K

39.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

12.01

-4.16%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: July 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Johannesburg versus $377 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 39% higher in Johannesburg, 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $168 – making Durban 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

Johannesburg vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johannesburg is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,724 per month in Johannesburg and $1,625 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 $1,149 in Johannesburg and $1,083 in Durban. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 84% 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 $1,083, than in Johannesburg at $1,149. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg 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.

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