Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Margate, South Africa and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Margate: $891 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Margate
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Margate Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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Margate

🇿🇦 South Africa

$891

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $891 per month in Margate vs $1,130 in Durban, rent included.

Margate $891
Durban $1,130

A couple spends around $1,419 per month in Margate vs $1,748 in Durban, rent included.

Margate $1,419
Durban $1,748

A family of three spends $1,947 per month in Margate vs $2,366 in Durban, rent included.

Margate $1,947
Durban $2,366

Margate is about 21% cheaper than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Margate and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Margate 35% lower, Durban 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 R 128

$7.93 R 132

-2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 R 612

$39.14 R 651

-6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 R 99.0

$6.15 R 102

-3.25%

Cappuccino

$1.89 R 31.51

$2.73 R 45.45

-30.77%

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

$1.05 R 17.55

$1.12 R 18.55

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 14.01

$0.91 R 15.19

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R 40.65

$2.43 R 40.41

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 R 38.31

$2.48 R 41.33

-7.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R 16.42

$1.17 R 19.48

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 R 15.08

$1.01 R 16.73

-9.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.72

$1.50 R 24.92

-24.67%

Eggs

$2.38 R 39.60

$2.43 R 40.43

-2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 R 86.6

$8.22 R 137

-36.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 R 56.7

$5.32 R 88.4

-35.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.01 R 100

$7.28 R 121

-17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.22

$1.95 R 32.40

-40.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 R 20.85

$1.95 R 32.40

-35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.13

$1.94 R 32.30

-43.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.49

$1.65 R 27.37

-14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R 18.22

$1.55 R 25.77

-29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 R 22.07

$1.46 R 24.28

-8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 18.38

$1.17 R 19.38

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.16

$1.14 R 18.93

-14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 R 26.91

$3.64 R 60.6

-55.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.63 R 60.4

$4.73 R 78.8

-23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R 24.60

$1.41 R 23.39

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.85

$1.89 R 31.52

-2.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 R 25.89

$1.79 R 29.73

-12.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 R 355

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.42

$0.41 R 6.77

9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R 11.88

$0.76 R 12.57

-6.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 R 129

$7.72 R 128

0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 R 22.87

$1.49 R 24.79

-8.05%

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

$35.1K R 584.0K

$35.5K R 590.5K

-1.10%

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

$33.7K R 560.3K

$32.3K R 537.7K

4.20%

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

$61.6 R 1,025

$148 R 2,456

-58.27%

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

$18.40 R 306

$35.49 R 590

-48.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.91 R 548

$39.45 R 656

-16.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.81 R 546

$31.01 R 516

5.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.97 R 183

$8.61 R 143

27.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 R 72.2

$7.39 R 123

-41.27%

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

$310 R 5,161

$317 R 5,266

-1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,680 R 127.8K

$7,714 R 128.3K

-0.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R 908

$53.2 R 886

2.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.27 R 304

$30.50 R 507

-40.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 R 1,193

$99.1 R 1,648

-27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.48 R 823

$85.0 R 1,414

-41.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 R 6,577

$445 R 7,402

-11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 R 6,046

$374 R 6,230

-2.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 R 12.4K

$814 R 13.5K

-8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 R 12.0K

$744 R 12.4K

-2.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$880 R 14.6K

$820 R 13.6K

7.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 R 11.6K

$565 R 9,404

23.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,528 R 25.4K

$1,280 R 21.3K

19.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

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

Last update for Margate: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Margate

$363 40.8%

Durban

$374 33.1% 3% $11

Groceries & Markets

Margate

$149 16.7%

Durban

$194 17.2% 30.5% $45

Eating Out

Margate

$127 14.2%

Durban

$140 12.4% 10.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Margate

$113 12.7%

Durban

$223 19.7% 97.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Margate

$87 9.8%

Durban

$121 10.7% 38% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Margate

$41 4.7%

Durban

$46 4.1% 10.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Margate

$10 * 1.2%

Durban

$33 2.9% 219% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $395 in Margate versus $445 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 19% higher in Margate, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Margate versus $39 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $149 vs $194 – making Margate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Margate

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Margate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,407

3,442,361

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Margate Durban 130 km

From you

Margate
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

Margate vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,336 per month in Margate and $1,695 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $395 there versus $445 in Durban.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Margate and $39 in Durban. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $891 in Margate and $1,130 in Durban. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Durban has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $891 in Margate to $1,130 in Durban. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.