Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $863 a month against $959 in Polokwane, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Polokwane despite lower rent and utilities.

Polokwane
🇿🇦 South Africa
$959
/mo nomad
Da Nang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$863
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Polokwane and in Da Nang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Polokwane and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $959 per month in Polokwane vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • Polokwane $959
  • Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $1,417 per month in Polokwane vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • Polokwane $1,417
  • Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $1,875 per month in Polokwane vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • Polokwane $1,875
  • Da Nang $1,945

Polokwane costs about 11% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Polokwane and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Polokwane 29% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.24 R 202
$2.30 ₫59.4K
432.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.66 R 489
$19.62 ₫508.0K
51.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.46 R 123
$4.60 ₫119.1K
62.17%
Cappuccino
$2.38 R 39.26
$1.66 ₫43.0K
43.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 R 12.68
$0.61 ₫15.7K
26.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 R 14.47
$0.34 ₫8,877
158.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.68 R 27.65
$1.34 ₫34.6K
25.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 R 30.95
$2.36 ₫61.1K
-20.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.71
$1.60 ₫41.5K
-17.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.08 R 17.82
$1.21 ₫31.3K
-10.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 R 28.03
$1.00 ₫25.9K
70.00%
Eggs
$2.65 R 43.69
$1.51 ₫39.1K
75.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.84 R 129
$12.90 ₫333.9K
-39.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.59 R 75.6
$4.29 ₫111.1K
6.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.04 R 99.6
$9.06 ₫234.6K
-33.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 R 33.19
$2.73 ₫70.6K
-26.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 R 30.53
$1.19 ₫30.8K
55.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 R 29.80
$1.29 ₫33.4K
40.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.96 R 32.30
$1.60 ₫41.3K
22.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.49
$1.18 ₫30.4K
41.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 R 24.73
$1.33 ₫34.3K
12.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 R 18.48
$1.01 ₫26.1K
10.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 R 13.46
$0.53 ₫13.7K
54.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.68 R 44.22
$1.56 ₫40.3K
71.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.87 R 80.2
$7.93 ₫205.2K
-38.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 R 18.88
$0.88 ₫22.9K
30.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 R 26.54
$2.12 ₫54.9K
-24.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 R 15.22
$0.32 ₫8,182
187.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.03 R 495
$4.99 ₫129.3K
501.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 R 14.41
$1.05 ₫27.1K
-17.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.95 R 15.66
$0.55 ₫14.3K
72.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.36 R 237
$19.50 ₫504.8K
-26.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 R 23.52
$0.95 ₫24.5K
50.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K R 430.1K
$30.9K ₫799.2M
-15.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.5K R 469.0K
$28.0K ₫724.6M
1.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 R 2,281
$76.6 ₫2.0M
80.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.10 R 628
$6.47 ₫167.6K
488.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.99 R 544
$8.08 ₫209.1K
308.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.29 R 384
$24.98 ₫646.6K
-6.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$5.35 ₫138.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.00 R 132
$3.07 ₫79.4K
160.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$179 R 2,946
$161 ₫4.2M
10.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,452 R 23.9K
$15.2K ₫392.3M
-90.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.30 R 746
$45.38 ₫1.2M
-0.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.73 R 622
$27.22 ₫704.7K
38.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.6 R 1,328
$100 ₫2.6M
-19.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.7 R 1,544
$80.9 ₫2.1M
15.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$290 R 4,785
$529 ₫13.7M
-45.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$203 R 3,338
$349 ₫9.0M
-41.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$420 R 6,922
$1,053 ₫27.3M
-60.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$284 R 4,683
$811 ₫21.0M
-64.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,834 ₫99.3M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,308 ₫33.9M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Polokwane
Da Nang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,343 R 22.1K
$363 ₫9.4M
269.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.91
10.72
1.77%

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

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Polokwane
$210
Da Nang
$91 56.5% $118
Accommodation & Living
Polokwane
$203
Da Nang
$349 72.3% $146
Groceries & Markets
Polokwane
$185
Da Nang
$201 8.3% $15
Eating Out
Polokwane
$168
Da Nang
$67 59.9% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Polokwane
$116
Da Nang
$114 1.5% $1.7
Getting Around
Polokwane
$39
Da Nang
$10 74.4% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Polokwane
$39
Da Nang
$31 20.8% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Polokwane versus $529 in Da Nang. 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 270% higher in Polokwane, 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 $30.00 in Polokwane versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Polokwane vs $201 in Da Nang – so Polokwane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Polokwane
🇻🇳 Da Nang
🕒 Local time
19:12 7:12 PM
00:12 12:12 AM
5 h ahead of Polokwane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
628,999
1,245,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Polokwane Da Nang 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Polokwane
  • Da Nang

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
Polokwane vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Polokwane and in Da Nang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $959 in Polokwane, $863 in Da Nang – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Polokwane compared to Da Nang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,439 per month in Polokwane and $1,295 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Polokwane and Da Nang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Polokwane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Polokwane and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Polokwane compared to Da Nang?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $959 in Polokwane and $863 in Da Nang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Polokwane and Da Nang?
It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $863 in Da Nang to $959 in Polokwane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Polokwane or Da Nang safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Polokwane and Da Nang?
If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Polokwane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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