Cost of Living Comparison Between Mossel Bay and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Mossel Bay and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,134 per month in Mossel Bay vs $1,121 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,792 per month in Mossel Bay vs $1,782 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,451 per month in Mossel Bay vs $2,442 in Durban, rent included.

Mossel Bay costs about 1% more than Durban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Mossel Bay and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Mossel Bay 17% lower, Durban 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 R 239

$7.97 R 130

82.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.43 R 793

$39.63 R 649

22.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 R 150

$6.11 R 100

49.92%

Cappuccino

$2.67 R 43.68

$2.82 R 46.23

-5.32%

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

$1.43 R 23.35

$1.16 R 19.05

23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 15.99

$0.87 R 14.17

12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 39.68

$2.43 R 39.80

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 R 49.88

$2.58 R 42.19

18.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R 18.61

$1.25 R 20.54

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.75

$1.04 R 17.07

10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 R 44.03

$1.59 R 26.03

69.18%

Eggs

$3.12 R 51.1

$2.50 R 40.92

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 R 153

$8.58 R 140

9.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 89.1

$5.34 R 87.4

1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 129

$7.08 R 116

11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R 33.57

$1.93 R 31.61

6.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 R 21.12

$1.91 R 31.32

-32.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.53

$1.99 R 32.65

-12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 R 33.89

$1.63 R 26.72

26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.40

$1.51 R 24.73

-1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.89

$1.47 R 24.04

15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 R 19.59

$1.24 R 20.39

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R 21.20

$1.22 R 20.05

5.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 R 59.5

$3.78 R 61.9

-3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 81.9

$5.01 R 82.1

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 R 35.93

$1.43 R 23.50

53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.81

$1.97 R 32.34

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 R 23.30

$1.89 R 31.03

-24.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 R 361

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.43

$0.47 R 7.70

36.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.45

$0.71 R 11.58

32.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 R 160

$7.76 R 127

26.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 23.13

$1.50 R 24.63

-6.00%

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

$29.8K R 488.9K

$35.7K R 584.6K

-16.37%

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

$27.7K R 453.9K

$32.2K R 527.6K

-13.98%

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

$112 R 1,827

$142 R 2,325

-21.45%

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

$18.30 R 300

$33.63 R 551

-45.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.69 R 716

$39.63 R 649

10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.82 R 357

$32.30 R 529

-32.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.71 R 241

$9.25 R 151

59.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R 119

$6.75 R 111

7.85%

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

$253 R 4,145

$326 R 5,342

-22.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,576 R 91.3K

$7,698 R 126.1K

-27.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 R 818

$55.2 R 904

-9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 R 346

$30.38 R 498

-30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 R 1,761

$101 R 1,653

6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 R 1,108

$87.4 R 1,431

-22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 R 8,555

$483 R 7,907

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 5,979

$374 R 6,122

-2.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 R 17.3K

$825 R 13.5K

27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 R 11.5K

$789 R 12.9K

-11.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$614 R 10.1K

$890 R 14.6K

-31.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 R 10.0K

$581 R 9,519

5.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,528 R 25.0K

$1,269 R 20.8K

20.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

11.81

-0.51%

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

Last update for Mossel Bay: September 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $522 in Mossel Bay versus $483 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 20% higher in Mossel Bay, 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 $48.00 in Mossel Bay versus $40.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $198 – 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

Mossel Bay vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mossel Bay is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,700 per month in Mossel Bay and $1,681 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durban, 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 $48.00 in Mossel Bay and $40.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Mossel Bay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,121, than in Mossel Bay at $1,134. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mossel Bay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Durban – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mossel Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.