Cost of Living Comparison Between Kimberley and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Kimberley and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,038 per month in Kimberley vs $1,058 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,752 per month in Kimberley vs $1,552 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,466 per month in Kimberley vs $2,046 in Durban, rent included.

Kimberley is about 2% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kimberley and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Kimberley 23% lower, Durban 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 R 181

$7.60 R 124

46.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.16 R 541

$28.12 R 459

17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 R 92.1

$4.97 R 81.2

13.48%

Cappuccino

$2.75 R 44.88

$1.97 R 32.11

39.59%

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

$1.24 R 20.15

$0.87 R 14.18

42.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 R 19.83

$0.67 R 10.98

80.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.93

$1.93 R 31.43

30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.22

$2.22 R 36.17

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.25

$1.00 R 16.24

49.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.42

$0.91 R 14.86

17.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 R 45.59

$1.48 R 24.23

88.51%

Eggs

$2.74 R 44.72

$2.11 R 34.40

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 R 96.3

$7.28 R 119

-18.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R 88.2

$4.59 R 75.0

17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.97 R 130

$6.33 R 103

25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R 33.71

$1.57 R 25.64

31.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.47

$1.36 R 22.17

59.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.69

$1.38 R 22.53

9.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 R 50.8

$1.36 R 22.23

129.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 R 36.87

$1.27 R 20.74

77.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 19.67

$1.18 R 19.26

2.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.13

$0.97 R 15.89

26.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.43

$0.96 R 15.64

-14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 46.75

$3.13 R 51.2

-8.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.60 R 108

$5.02 R 81.9

31.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 34.87

$1.46 R 23.84

46.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 R 42.60

$1.75 R 28.50

49.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.59

$1.50 R 24.43

12.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.03 R 506

$37.86 R 618

-18.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 R 10.70

$1.71 R 27.87

-61.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.35

$0.61 R 10.00

54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 R 65.1

$6.78 R 111

-41.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R 21.70

$1.28 R 20.82

3.91%

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

$21.5K R 351.0K

$20.3K R 331.3K

5.93%

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

$23.5K R 383.3K

$24.2K R 395.5K

-3.09%

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

$96.2 R 1,570

$147 R 2,398

-34.50%

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

$38.82 R 634

$29.29 R 478

32.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.57 R 744

$33.72 R 550

35.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.26 R 347

$34.46 R 562

-38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 R 149

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 R 110

$6.56 R 107

2.90%

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

$157 R 2,559

$210 R 3,419

-25.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,319 R 70.5K

$4,585 R 74.8K

-5.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.09 R 556

$42.78 R 698

-20.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 R 520

$29.50 R 481

8.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 R 1,352

$93.3 R 1,522

-11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 R 1,298

$73.1 R 1,192

8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 R 4,068

$373 R 6,088

-33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R 5,079

$368 R 5,998

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 R 9,525

$754 R 12.3K

-22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 R 14.4K

$594 R 9,691

48.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$989 R 16.1K

$910 R 14.9K

8.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$640 R 10.4K

$581 R 9,480

10.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$958 R 15.6K

$1,395 R 22.8K

-31.34%

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 Kimberley: May 30, 2026

Last update for Durban: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in Kimberley versus $373 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 46% 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 $33.00 in Kimberley versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 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

Kimberley vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 2%, 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 $1,557 per month in Kimberley and $1,587 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,038 in Kimberley and $1,058 in Durban. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,038 in Kimberley and $1,058 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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.