Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kimberley and Durban

For one person, living costs are similar in Kimberley and in Durban: $1,128 and $1,150 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kimberley
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,128
/mo nomad
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,150
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Kimberley vs $1,150 in Durban, rent included.

  • Kimberley $1,128
  • Durban $1,150

A couple spends around $1,905 per month in Kimberley vs $1,777 in Durban, rent included.

  • Kimberley $1,905
  • Durban $1,777

A family of three spends $2,683 per month in Kimberley vs $2,404 in Durban, rent included.

  • Kimberley $2,683
  • Durban $2,404

Kimberley is about 2% cheaper than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kimberley and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Kimberley 16% lower, Durban 15% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 R 201
$7.84 R 129
55.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.40 R 600
$38.75 R 638
-6.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.91 R 97.3
$5.87 R 96.7
0.68%
Cappuccino
$3.02 R 49.76
$2.63 R 43.30
14.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 R 21.67
$1.08 R 17.85
22.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$0.89 R 14.72
42.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.78 R 45.76
$2.37 R 38.99
17.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 R 45.40
$2.62 R 43.10
5.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 R 25.08
$1.23 R 20.33
23.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 R 19.09
$0.99 R 16.23
17.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.01 R 49.58
$1.50 R 24.71
100.67%
Eggs
$2.88 R 47.44
$2.34 R 38.58
23.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.60 R 109
$8.10 R 133
-18.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.84 R 96.2
$5.09 R 83.8
14.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.62 R 142
$7.48 R 123
15.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 R 36.86
$1.93 R 31.78
16.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.46 R 40.59
$1.90 R 31.36
29.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 R 29.02
$1.91 R 31.42
-7.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.33 R 54.9
$1.64 R 27.09
103.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.20
$1.49 R 24.61
-1.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 R 23.42
$1.40 R 23.11
1.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 R 22.03
$1.17 R 19.33
14.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 R 14.25
$1.14 R 18.84
-24.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.09 R 50.9
$3.64 R 60.0
-15.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.51 R 107
$4.75 R 78.2
37.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 R 36.48
$1.41 R 23.27
56.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 R 45.98
$1.85 R 30.45
50.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 R 24.97
$1.80 R 29.63
-15.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.35 R 549
$21.77 R 359
53.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.58 R 9.57
$0.40 R 6.60
45.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.88 R 14.57
$0.76 R 12.47
15.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.59 R 191
$7.53 R 124
53.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 R 22.88
$1.55 R 25.52
-10.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K R 579.7K
$35.0K R 577.2K
0.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K R 522.0K
$31.3K R 515.5K
1.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 R 1,734
$148 R 2,435
-28.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.81 R 573
$35.20 R 580
-1.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.50 R 700
$38.95 R 642
9.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.96 R 378
$31.79 R 524
-27.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.87 R 179
$9.10 R 150
19.45%
Cinema Ticket
$7.27 R 120
$7.32 R 121
-0.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$242 R 3,985
$312 R 5,143
-22.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,516 R 90.9K
$7,555 R 124.5K
-26.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.9 R 871
$55.0 R 905
-3.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.01 R 544
$30.90 R 509
6.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.7 R 1,626
$100 R 1,648
-1.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.3 R 1,438
$84.3 R 1,389
3.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$266 R 4,378
$463 R 7,621
-42.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 R 5,472
$398 R 6,555
-16.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$640 R 10.5K
$818 R 13.5K
-21.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$940 R 15.5K
$789 R 13.0K
19.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$888 R 14.6K
$878 R 14.5K
1.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$649 R 10.7K
$580 R 9,557
11.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kimberley
Durban
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$935 R 15.4K
$1,271 R 20.9K
-26.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11.78
-7.13%

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

Last update for Kimberley: October 11, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kimberley
$332
Durban
$398 19.8% $66
Groceries & Markets
Kimberley
$228
Durban
$193 15.4% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kimberley
$183
Durban
$222 21.6% $39
Eating Out
Kimberley
$181
Durban
$137 24.6% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Kimberley
$122
Durban
$122 0.6% $0.8
Getting Around
Kimberley
$44
Durban
$33 25.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Kimberley
$38
Durban
$46 23.8% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Kimberley 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 36% higher in Durban, 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 $36.00 in Kimberley versus $39.00 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Kimberley vs $193 in Durban – so Durban wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Kimberley
🇿🇦 Durban
🕒 Local time
10:21 10:21 AM
10:21 10:21 AM
Same time as Kimberley
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
225,160
3,442,361
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kimberley Durban 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kimberley
  • 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
Kimberley vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Durban cheaper than Kimberley?
Yes – Durban is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,692 per month in Kimberley and $1,726 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Kimberley and in Durban?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,128 in Kimberley and $1,150 in Durban. That's a gap of about 2%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 53% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kimberley or in Durban?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Durban at $1,150. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Kimberley or Durban more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kimberley. 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.

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