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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A couple spends around $1,948 per month in Kimberley vs $1,789 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Kimberley vs $2,428 in Durban, rent included.

Kimberley and Durban have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.56 R 201

$8.10 R 130

55.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.73 R 603

$40.00 R 640

-5.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 R 97.8

$5.80 R 92.8

5.34%

Cappuccino

$3.21 R 51.3

$2.78 R 44.52

15.47%

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

$1.38 R 22.09

$1.14 R 18.28

21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 21.56

$0.93 R 14.90

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 R 43.69

$2.42 R 38.76

12.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 R 45.57

$2.77 R 44.37

2.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 R 26.17

$1.25 R 20.07

31.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 R 19.21

$0.99 R 15.85

21.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 R 49.70

$1.64 R 26.25

89.63%

Eggs

$2.95 R 47.17

$2.44 R 39.08

20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.80 R 109

$8.65 R 138

-21.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 R 100

$5.64 R 90.2

10.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 R 142

$7.30 R 117

21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R 38.37

$1.88 R 30.12

27.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 R 41.16

$1.91 R 30.54

34.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.52

$1.93 R 30.82

-7.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 R 54.0

$1.67 R 26.77

102.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.32

$1.55 R 24.81

-1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.63

$1.53 R 24.46

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 R 21.76

$1.22 R 19.57

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.22

$1.25 R 19.94

-24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 R 52.6

$3.72 R 59.5

-11.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.85 R 110

$4.83 R 77.2

41.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 R 37.66

$1.51 R 24.17

56.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 R 47.79

$1.97 R 31.54

51.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 R 25.46

$1.93 R 30.83

-17.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.25 R 548

$22.24 R 356

54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.31

$0.45 R 7.21

42.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R 14.59

$0.77 R 12.28

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 R 146

$7.72 R 123

18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 23.84

$1.47 R 23.45

1.36%

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

$36.4K R 581.7K

$36.5K R 583.5K

-0.32%

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

$32.7K R 523.0K

$33.0K R 527.4K

-0.84%

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

$109 R 1,737

$148 R 2,369

-26.71%

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

$35.86 R 574

$35.25 R 564

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.79 R 684

$38.89 R 622

10.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.00 R 368

$31.54 R 504

-27.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 R 150

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 R 118

$6.68 R 107

10.33%

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

$261 R 4,167

$331 R 5,295

-21.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 R 92.2K

$7,462 R 119.3K

-22.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 R 863

$53.4 R 854

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 R 553

$30.55 R 489

13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 R 1,692

$101 R 1,615

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 R 1,524

$88.7 R 1,419

7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 R 4,366

$490 R 7,829

-44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 R 5,447

$400 R 6,396

-14.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 R 10.6K

$862 R 13.8K

-23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 R 15.7K

$790 R 12.6K

24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$885 R 14.2K

$934 R 14.9K

-5.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 R 10.3K

$590 R 9,436

9.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$970 R 15.5K

$1,250 R 20.0K

-22.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.66

-5.66%

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

Last update for Kimberley: August 30, 2026

Last update for Durban: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $273 in Kimberley versus $490 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 29% higher in Durban. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Kimberley versus $40.00 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Kimberley vs $201 in Durban – so Durban wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,724 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.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Kimberley and $40.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,150, 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.

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.