Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Randburg and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Randburg: $1,061 a month against $1,130 in Durban, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Randburg, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Randburg
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,061
/mo nomad
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Randburg vs $1,130 in Durban, rent included.

  • Randburg $1,061
  • Durban $1,130

A couple spends around $1,716 per month in Randburg vs $1,748 in Durban, rent included.

  • Randburg $1,716
  • Durban $1,748

A family of three spends $2,370 per month in Randburg vs $2,366 in Durban, rent included.

  • Randburg $2,370
  • Durban $2,366

Randburg is about 6% cheaper than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Randburg and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Randburg 22% lower, Durban 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.36 R 173
$7.93 R 132
30.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.80 R 749
$39.14 R 654
14.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.29 R 88.3
$6.15 R 103
-13.98%
Cappuccino
$2.49 R 41.53
$2.73 R 45.64
-8.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 21.29
$1.12 R 18.63
13.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 R 15.24
$0.91 R 15.26
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.57 R 43.02
$2.43 R 40.58
5.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 R 54.9
$2.48 R 41.50
32.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 R 21.27
$1.17 R 19.56
8.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 R 19.06
$1.01 R 16.80
12.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 R 28.43
$1.50 R 25.03
13.33%
Eggs
$2.74 R 45.85
$2.43 R 40.60
12.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.57 R 143
$8.22 R 137
4.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.62 R 93.8
$5.32 R 88.8
5.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.17 R 120
$7.28 R 122
-1.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 R 33.13
$1.95 R 32.53
1.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 R 26.68
$1.95 R 32.53
-17.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 R 30.22
$1.94 R 32.43
-6.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 R 26.92
$1.65 R 27.49
-2.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 R 28.27
$1.55 R 25.88
9.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.81
$1.46 R 24.38
13.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 R 19.29
$1.17 R 19.46
-1.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 R 21.56
$1.14 R 19.01
13.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.42 R 57.1
$3.64 R 60.9
-6.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.96 R 82.8
$4.73 R 79.1
4.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 R 25.28
$1.41 R 23.48
7.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 R 36.01
$1.89 R 31.65
14.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Randburg
Durban
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.79 R 29.86
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$21.32 R 356
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 R 4.83
$0.41 R 6.80
-29.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 R 15.37
$0.76 R 12.62
21.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.52 R 243
$7.72 R 129
88.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 R 24.66
$1.49 R 24.90
-0.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K R 594.2K
$35.5K R 592.9K
0.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K R 579.2K
$32.3K R 540.0K
7.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$152 R 2,535
$148 R 2,467
2.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.96 R 651
$35.49 R 593
9.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.21 R 622
$39.45 R 659
-5.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.38 R 341
$31.01 R 518
-34.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.46 R 74.6
$8.61 R 144
-48.20%
Cinema Ticket
$7.35 R 123
$7.39 R 124
-0.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$262 R 4,377
$317 R 5,288
-17.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,433 R 90.8K
$7,714 R 128.9K
-29.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 R 899
$53.2 R 889
1.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.23 R 756
$30.50 R 510
48.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 R 1,882
$99.1 R 1,655
13.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.7 R 1,381
$85.0 R 1,420
-2.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Randburg
Durban
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$313 R 5,235
$445 R 7,434
-29.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$302 R 5,042
$374 R 6,256
-19.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 R 10.3K
$814 R 13.6K
-24.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$713 R 11.9K
$744 R 12.4K
-4.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$608 R 10.2K
$820 R 13.7K
-25.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$764 R 12.8K
$565 R 9,443
35.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Randburg
Durban
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,885 R 31.5K
$1,280 R 21.4K
47.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.34
11.78
-3.74%

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

Last update for Randburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Randburg
$302
Durban
$374 24.1% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Randburg
$228
Durban
$223 2.3% $5.3
Groceries & Markets
Randburg
$202
Durban
$194 4% $8.2
Eating Out
Randburg
$157
Durban
$140 10.7% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Randburg
$132
Durban
$121 9% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Randburg
$35
Durban
$46 30.6% $11
Getting Around
Randburg
$4.9 *
Durban
$33 568% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Randburg 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 run about 47% higher in Randburg, 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 $45 in Randburg versus $39 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $194 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Randburg
🇿🇦 Durban
🕒 Local time
00:14 12:14 AM
00:14 12:14 AM
Same time as Randburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
335,000
3,442,361
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Randburg Durban 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Randburg
  • 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
Randburg vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Randburg cheaper than Durban?
Yes – Durban is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,592 per month in Randburg 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 Randburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $445 in Durban.
Is eating out cheaper in Randburg or in Durban?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Randburg 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 Randburg and in Durban?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Durban – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Randburg or in Durban?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,061 in Randburg and $1,130 in Durban. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Randburg or Durban more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Randburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Randburg vs other spots: cost of living compared

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