Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg, South Africa and Durban

For one person, living costs are similar in Middelburg and in Durban: $1,099 and $1,120 a month, rent and utilities included.

52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,099 per month in Middelburg vs $1,120 in Durban, rent included.

Middelburg $1,099
Durban $1,120

A couple spends around $1,695 per month in Middelburg vs $1,725 in Durban, rent included.

Middelburg $1,695
Durban $1,725

A family of three spends $2,291 per month in Middelburg vs $2,330 in Durban, rent included.

Middelburg $2,291
Durban $2,330

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

Both Middelburg and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Middelburg 19% lower, Durban 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 R 157

$8.55 R 141

11.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 R 592

$36.80 R 605

-2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R 96.5

$6.05 R 99.6

-2.98%

Cappuccino

$1.29 R 21.26

$2.66 R 43.78

-51.50%

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

$0.83 R 13.58

$1.06 R 17.49

-21.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R 10.54

$0.84 R 13.80

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 R 19.28

$2.43 R 40.03

-51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.01

$2.44 R 40.18

-37.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.20

$1.19 R 19.53

-1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.14

$0.96 R 15.84

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.09

$1.49 R 24.55

-2.01%

Eggs

$1.70 R 28.00

$2.26 R 37.11

-24.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.76 R 94.8

$8.09 R 133

-28.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R 81.6

$5.00 R 82.2

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 R 109

$7.56 R 124

-12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.35

$1.98 R 32.62

-16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.79

$1.94 R 31.94

-44.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.42

$1.93 R 31.77

-41.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.35

$1.63 R 26.82

-23.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.38

$1.44 R 23.63

20.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.27

$1.37 R 22.48

-10.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.37

$1.21 R 19.90

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.10

$1.18 R 19.40

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R 39.37

$3.52 R 57.9

-32.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 78.9

$4.74 R 78.0

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 28.99

$1.48 R 24.32

18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R 33.85

$1.94 R 31.92

6.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 R 23.40

$1.77 R 29.13

-19.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.88 R 705

$21.91 R 360

95.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.45

$0.40 R 6.60

135.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R 12.24

$0.71 R 11.70

4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 R 190

$7.77 R 128

48.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R 21.95

$1.51 R 24.88

-11.92%

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

$34.3K R 563.7K

$35.9K R 590.0K

-4.46%

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

$31.9K R 525.0K

$33.4K R 549.5K

-4.46%

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

$151 R 2,487

$147 R 2,422

2.66%

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

$35.28 R 580

$38.50 R 633

-8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.41 R 615

$37.93 R 624

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.36 R 532

$30.24 R 498

7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.35 R 203

$9.01 R 148

37.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 R 103

$7.26 R 119

-13.91%

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

$236 R 3,879

$309 R 5,087

-23.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,077 R 100.0K

$7,433 R 122.3K

-18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$52.6 R 865

0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.79 R 523

$27.16 R 447

17.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 R 1,626

$95.8 R 1,575

3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 R 1,427

$81.9 R 1,346

6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,546

$424 R 6,981

-6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,944

$367 R 6,033

-1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.8K

$785 R 12.9K

-8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 R 12.0K

$724 R 11.9K

0.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$836 R 13.7K

-9.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$670 R 11.0K

$575 R 9,465

16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 R 19.6K

$1,301 R 21.4K

-8.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.7

-6.67%

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

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Durban: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middelburg

$361 32.9%

Durban

$367 32.8% 1.5% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middelburg

$224 20.4%

Durban

$224 20% 0.1% $0.2

Groceries & Markets

Middelburg

$170 15.4%

Durban

$193 17.2% 13.5% $23

Eating Out

Middelburg

$124 11.3%

Durban

$143 12.8% 15.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Middelburg

$122 11.1%

Durban

$116 10.3% 4.9% $5.9

Getting Around

Middelburg

$53 4.8%

Durban

$33 2.9% 38.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Middelburg

$45 4.1%

Durban

$45 4% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $398 in Middelburg versus $424 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 9% higher in Durban. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Middelburg versus $37 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $193 – making Middelburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

Same time as Middelburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,348

3,442,361

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Middelburg Durban 480 km

From you

Middelburg
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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

Middelburg vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,648 per month in Middelburg and $1,680 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $398 in Middelburg and $424 in Durban. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Middelburg and $37 in Durban. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,099 in Middelburg and $1,120 in Durban. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Middelburg – 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 Middelburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Durban makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.