Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Shepstone and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Shepstone: $1,007 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Port Shepstone, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Port Shepstone
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,007
/mo nomad
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Port Shepstone vs $1,130 in Durban, rent included.

  • Port Shepstone $1,007
  • Durban $1,130

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Port Shepstone vs $1,748 in Durban, rent included.

  • Port Shepstone $1,582
  • Durban $1,748

A family of three spends $2,156 per month in Port Shepstone vs $2,366 in Durban, rent included.

  • Port Shepstone $2,156
  • Durban $2,366

Port Shepstone is about 11% cheaper than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Port Shepstone and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Port Shepstone 26% lower, Durban 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.04 R 134
$7.93 R 132
1.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.88 R 665
$39.14 R 652
1.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.95 R 99.2
$6.15 R 103
-3.25%
Cappuccino
$2.64 R 44.00
$2.73 R 45.52
-3.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 19.00
$1.12 R 18.58
1.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 R 14.32
$0.91 R 15.21
-5.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 R 41.51
$2.43 R 40.47
2.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 R 44.03
$2.48 R 41.39
6.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 R 15.80
$1.17 R 19.51
-18.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.71 R 11.76
$1.01 R 16.75
-29.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 R 20.70
$1.50 R 24.96
-17.33%
Eggs
$1.48 R 24.60
$2.43 R 40.49
-39.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.20 R 120
$8.22 R 137
-12.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.69 R 61.4
$5.32 R 88.6
-30.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.49 R 125
$7.28 R 121
2.88%
Apples (1kg)
$1.24 R 20.64
$1.95 R 32.44
-36.41%
Banana (1kg)
$0.75 R 12.49
$1.95 R 32.45
-61.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.62 R 10.34
$1.94 R 32.34
-68.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.51 R 25.10
$1.65 R 27.42
-8.48%
Potato (1kg)
$0.60 R 9.92
$1.55 R 25.81
-61.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.40 R 23.32
$1.46 R 24.32
-4.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 R 14.73
$1.17 R 19.41
-24.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 R 10.50
$1.14 R 18.96
-44.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.70 R 61.6
$3.64 R 60.7
1.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.88 R 81.4
$4.73 R 78.9
3.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 R 24.33
$1.41 R 23.42
3.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 R 32.01
$1.89 R 31.57
1.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 R 25.69
$1.79 R 29.78
-13.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$21.32 R 355
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 R 7.52
$0.41 R 6.78
9.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 R 12.54
$0.76 R 12.59
-1.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.76 R 129
$7.72 R 129
0.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 R 22.62
$1.49 R 24.83
-8.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K R 602.5K
$35.5K R 591.3K
1.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K R 554.1K
$32.3K R 538.5K
2.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$123 R 2,046
$148 R 2,460
-16.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.50 R 308
$35.49 R 591
-47.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.99 R 616
$39.45 R 657
-6.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.96 R 533
$31.01 R 517
3.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.10 R 185
$8.61 R 143
28.92%
Cinema Ticket
$7.29 R 121
$7.39 R 123
-1.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$315 R 5,249
$317 R 5,274
-0.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,688 R 128.1K
$7,714 R 128.5K
-0.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.6 R 893
$53.2 R 887
0.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.74 R 512
$30.50 R 508
0.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 R 1,674
$99.1 R 1,650
1.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 R 1,440
$85.0 R 1,417
1.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$397 R 6,621
$445 R 7,414
-10.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$363 R 6,053
$374 R 6,240
-2.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$745 R 12.4K
$814 R 13.6K
-8.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$743 R 12.4K
$744 R 12.4K
-0.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$886 R 14.8K
$820 R 13.7K
8.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$678 R 11.3K
$565 R 9,418
19.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Shepstone
Durban
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,014 R 50.2K
$1,280 R 21.3K
135.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.78
11.78
-

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

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 24, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Shepstone
$363
Durban
$374 3.1% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Shepstone
$178
Durban
$223 24.8% $44
Groceries & Markets
Port Shepstone
$147
Durban
$194 31.8% $47
Eating Out
Port Shepstone
$140
Durban
$140 0.2% $0.3
Clothing & Footwear
Port Shepstone
$122
Durban
$121 1.3% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
Port Shepstone
$47
Durban
$46 1.6% $0.7
Getting Around
Port Shepstone
$10 *
Durban
$33 215% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Port Shepstone versus $445 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 in Port Shepstone are about 2.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Port Shepstone versus $39 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $147 in Port Shepstone vs $194 in Durban – so Port Shepstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Port Shepstone
🇿🇦 Durban
🕒 Local time
22:51 10:51 PM
22:51 10:51 PM
Same time as Port Shepstone
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,793
3,442,361
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Shepstone Durban 110 km
From you
  • Port Shepstone
  • 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 Shepstone vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Shepstone cheaper than Durban?
Yes – Durban is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,511 per month in Port Shepstone and $1,695 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Shepstone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $445 in Durban.
Is eating out cheaper in Port Shepstone or in Durban?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Port Shepstone and $39 in Durban. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Port Shepstone and in Durban?
Groceries cost about 32% more in Durban, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Port Shepstone or in Durban?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,007 in Port Shepstone and $1,130 in Durban. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Port Shepstone or in Durban?
It depends on your priorities. Durban has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,007 in Port Shepstone to $1,130 in Durban. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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