Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,150 a month against $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. The total is higher in Port Elizabeth despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,150

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,150 in Durban, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,216
Durban $1,150

A couple spends around $1,835 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,777 in Durban, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,835
Durban $1,777

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,404 in Durban, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,453
Durban $2,404

Port Elizabeth costs about 6% more than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Elizabeth and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Durban 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 R 181

$7.84 R 129

40.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.67 R 687

$38.75 R 638

7.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 R 96.2

$5.87 R 96.7

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.81

$2.63 R 43.30

-17.49%

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

$1.03 R 16.91

$1.08 R 17.85

-4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.59

$0.89 R 14.72

-14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.37

$2.37 R 38.99

13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.3

$2.62 R 43.10

23.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.39

$1.23 R 20.33

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$0.99 R 16.23

5.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.50 R 24.71

0.67%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.35

$2.34 R 38.58

20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 141

$8.10 R 133

5.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.7

$5.09 R 83.8

4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$7.48 R 123

11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.04

$1.93 R 31.78

13.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.90 R 31.36

-21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.04

$1.91 R 31.42

-10.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$1.64 R 27.09

10.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.41

$1.49 R 24.61

11.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.83

$1.40 R 23.11

3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.72

$1.17 R 19.33

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.39

$1.14 R 18.84

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.8

$3.64 R 60.0

-10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$4.75 R 78.2

1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.99

$1.41 R 23.27

-9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.00

$1.85 R 30.45

-1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R 18.17

$1.80 R 29.63

-38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 R 604

$21.77 R 359

68.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 R 33.68

$0.40 R 6.60

410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.25

$0.76 R 12.47

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$7.53 R 124

12.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.38

$1.55 R 25.52

-4.52%

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

$35.8K R 589.5K

$35.0K R 577.2K

2.13%

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

$34.1K R 562.5K

$31.3K R 515.5K

9.12%

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

$125 R 2,058

$148 R 2,435

-15.48%

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

$34.90 R 575

$35.20 R 580

-0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.55 R 734

$38.95 R 642

14.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.20 R 530

$31.79 R 524

1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 R 383

$9.10 R 150

155.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 R 177

$7.32 R 121

46.72%

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

$177 R 2,924

$312 R 5,143

-43.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,046 R 99.6K

$7,555 R 124.5K

-19.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 R 1,193

$55.0 R 905

31.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 R 631

$30.90 R 509

23.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,806

$100 R 1,648

9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 R 1,574

$84.3 R 1,389

13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 R 9,859

$463 R 7,621

29.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R 6,838

$398 R 6,555

4.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.3K

$818 R 13.5K

-1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.2K

$789 R 13.0K

-13.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 R 12.6K

$878 R 14.5K

-12.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,604

$580 R 9,557

-9.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,625 R 26.8K

$1,271 R 20.9K

27.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.78

1.36%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1%

Durban

$398 34.6% 4.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8%

Durban

$222 19.3% 8.6% $18

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Durban

$193 16.7% 2% $4

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1%

Durban

$137 11.9% 13.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Durban

$122 10.6% 14.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4%

Durban

$46 4% 13.5% $7.3

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8%

Durban

$33 2.9% 27.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Port Elizabeth versus $463 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 28% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $42.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $39.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $193 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

Same time as Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

3,442,361

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Durban 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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

Port Elizabeth vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Elizabeth is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,824 per month in Port Elizabeth and $1,726 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,216 in Port Elizabeth and $1,150 in Durban. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,150, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,216. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth 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.

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