Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,058 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,552 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,153 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,046 in Durban, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 R 135

$7.60 R 123

9.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.99 R 699

$28.12 R 457

52.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 93.6

$4.97 R 80.8

15.90%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 36.35

$1.97 R 31.98

13.71%

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

$0.88 R 14.31

$0.87 R 14.12

1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R 11.20

$0.67 R 10.94

2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 R 27.13

$1.93 R 31.30

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R 38.12

$2.22 R 36.02

5.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 17.04

$1.00 R 16.18

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 R 13.06

$0.91 R 14.80

-12.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.33

$1.48 R 24.13

1.35%

Eggs

$2.35 R 38.19

$2.11 R 34.25

11.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 R 114

$7.28 R 118

-3.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 R 76.5

$4.59 R 74.7

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 111

$6.33 R 103

7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.91

$1.57 R 25.53

5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.61

$1.36 R 22.08

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 31.58

$1.38 R 22.43

40.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.20

$1.36 R 22.14

27.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.11

$1.27 R 20.66

21.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.64

$1.18 R 19.18

49.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.06

$0.97 R 15.82

34.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.19

$0.96 R 15.57

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R 47.55

$3.13 R 50.9

-6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 R 57.6

$5.02 R 81.6

-29.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.27

$1.46 R 23.74

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 28.92

$1.75 R 28.39

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 R 44.44

$1.50 R 24.33

82.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.34 R 298

$37.86 R 615

-51.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R 27.48

$1.71 R 27.76

-1.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.49

$0.61 R 9.95

-14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 R 64.7

$6.78 R 110

-41.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.47

$1.28 R 20.73

-6.25%

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

$23.4K R 380.4K

$20.3K R 330.0K

15.28%

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

$22.9K R 371.7K

$24.2K R 393.9K

-5.62%

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

$238 R 3,861

$147 R 2,388

61.72%

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

$30.61 R 497

$29.29 R 476

4.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 R 948

$33.72 R 548

72.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.05 R 618

$34.46 R 560

10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 R 149

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 R 80.3

$6.56 R 107

-24.70%

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

$148 R 2,401

$210 R 3,405

-29.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,723 R 76.8K

$4,585 R 74.5K

3.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 R 1,011

$42.78 R 695

45.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 R 615

$29.50 R 479

28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 R 2,885

$93.3 R 1,515

90.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 R 1,226

$73.1 R 1,187

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 R 3,280

$373 R 6,063

-45.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 R 2,986

$368 R 5,974

-50.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,492

$754 R 12.2K

-30.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 R 6,161

$594 R 9,651

-36.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$916 R 14.9K

$910 R 14.8K

0.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$442 R 7,187

$581 R 9,440

-23.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 R 14.9K

$1,395 R 22.7K

-34.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

12.01

-4.25%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: May 31, 2026

Last update for Durban: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $202 in Pietermaritzburg 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 52% higher in Durban. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 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

Pietermaritzburg vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,591 per month in Pietermaritzburg 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 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 $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg and $28.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 106% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,058 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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