Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,150 a month against $1,430 in Johannesburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,430

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,150

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,430 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,150 in Durban, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,430
Durban $1,150

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,777 in Durban, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,195
Durban $1,777

A family of three spends $2,960 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,404 in Durban, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,960
Durban $2,404

Johannesburg costs about 24% more than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Johannesburg sits 6% above the global median, while Durban is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 R 197

$7.84 R 129

52.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 R 709

$38.75 R 638

11.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 R 117

$5.87 R 96.7

21.29%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R 39.72

$2.63 R 43.30

-8.37%

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

$1.17 R 19.21

$1.08 R 17.85

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.30

$0.89 R 14.72

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 37.03

$2.37 R 38.99

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.49

$2.62 R 43.10

5.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.59

$1.23 R 20.33

6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 21.12

$0.99 R 16.23

29.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.37

$1.50 R 24.71

14.67%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.34

$2.34 R 38.58

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R 140

$8.10 R 133

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.0

$5.09 R 83.8

7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R 145

$7.48 R 123

17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.89

$1.93 R 31.78

9.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.45

$1.90 R 31.36

-5.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.47

$1.91 R 31.42

-3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.99

$1.64 R 27.09

29.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.61

$1.49 R 24.61

16.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.09

$1.40 R 23.11

30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 R 23.53

$1.17 R 19.33

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.99

$1.14 R 18.84

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 R 54.3

$3.64 R 60.0

-9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 R 97.3

$4.75 R 78.2

24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.89

$1.41 R 23.27

28.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.95

$1.85 R 30.45

34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 R 33.11

$1.80 R 29.63

11.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 R 1,481

$21.77 R 359

312.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.62

$0.40 R 6.60

107.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.70

$0.76 R 12.47

17.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.42 R 238

$7.53 R 124

91.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.51

$1.55 R 25.52

-3.87%

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

$35.2K R 579.4K

$35.0K R 577.2K

0.37%

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

$32.5K R 534.9K

$31.3K R 515.5K

3.77%

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

$233 R 3,841

$148 R 2,435

57.73%

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

$37.52 R 618

$35.20 R 580

6.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 R 598

$38.95 R 642

-6.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 R 600

$31.79 R 524

14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 R 284

$9.10 R 150

89.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R 126

$7.32 R 121

4.64%

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

$246 R 4,048

$312 R 5,143

-21.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,533 R 91.2K

$7,555 R 124.5K

-26.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 963

$55.0 R 905

6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 R 745

$30.90 R 509

46.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,817

$100 R 1,648

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,734

$84.3 R 1,389

24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 R 8,127

$463 R 7,621

6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 R 7,160

$398 R 6,555

9.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 R 16.2K

$818 R 13.5K

20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 R 14.8K

$789 R 13.0K

13.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$967 R 15.9K

$878 R 14.5K

10.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$746 R 12.3K

$580 R 9,557

28.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 R 28.6K

$1,271 R 20.9K

36.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.78

-7.39%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$435 30.4%

Durban

$398 34.6% 8.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$307 21.5%

Durban

$222 19.3% 27.7% $85

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.3%

Durban

$193 16.7% 11.8% $26

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$171 12%

Durban

$137 11.9% 20.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$144 10.1%

Durban

$122 10.6% 15.4% $22

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.2%

Durban

$33 2.9% 67.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.6%

Durban

$46 4% 10.3% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $493 in Johannesburg versus $463 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 37% 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 $43.00 in Johannesburg versus $39.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $193 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

3,442,361

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,145 per month in Johannesburg and $1,726 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 $1,430 in Johannesburg and $1,150 in Durban. That's a gap of about 24%.

Public transport costs about 313% 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 $1,150, than in Johannesburg at $1,430. 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.