Cost of Living Comparison Between Roodepoort and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Roodepoort and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Roodepoort vs $1,043 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,920 per month in Roodepoort vs $1,554 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,488 per month in Roodepoort vs $2,065 in Durban, rent included.

Roodepoort costs about 30% more than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Roodepoort sits 1% above the global median, while Durban is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 R 184

$7.35 R 119

54.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.28 R 733

$28.44 R 460

59.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 R 75.8

$5.12 R 82.9

-8.59%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 34.03

$1.93 R 31.23

8.81%

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

$0.99 R 15.97

$0.87 R 14.01

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.30

$0.71 R 11.47

15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.82

$1.98 R 32.03

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R 41.06

$2.27 R 36.71

11.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.16

$1.03 R 16.73

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.48

$0.90 R 14.65

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.95

$1.41 R 22.83

18.44%

Eggs

$2.53 R 40.98

$2.18 R 35.35

16.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 R 130

$7.41 R 120

8.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 R 76.7

$4.54 R 73.5

4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R 107

$6.35 R 103

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.65

$1.51 R 24.41

9.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.82

$1.35 R 21.93

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.02

$1.34 R 21.68

24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.49

$1.36 R 22.07

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 R 21.87

$1.31 R 21.18

3.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.05

$1.17 R 19.00

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.75

$0.98 R 15.80

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 19.00

$0.91 R 14.75

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 R 44.97

$3.01 R 48.70

-7.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 R 87.1

$4.96 R 80.4

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.09

$1.39 R 22.52

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 R 26.55

$1.74 R 28.13

-5.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R 26.03

$1.53 R 24.71

5.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.82 R 628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.31

$1.63 R 26.41

-30.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.55

$0.58 R 9.47

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 R 48.86

$6.53 R 106

-53.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.34

$1.29 R 20.84

-2.33%

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

$19.5K R 315.4K

$20.5K R 332.0K

-5.01%

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

$23.7K R 383.9K

$24.4K R 395.2K

-2.85%

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

$123 R 1,988

$147 R 2,374

-16.25%

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

$37.06 R 600

$29.37 R 475

26.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.16 R 683

$33.28 R 539

26.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.09 R 617

$33.64 R 545

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.31 R 167

$9.40 R 152

9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 120

$6.67 R 108

11.09%

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

$205 R 3,313

$209 R 3,389

-2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,985 R 80.7K

$4,571 R 74.0K

9.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R 814

$42.21 R 683

19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.04 R 519

$30.15 R 488

6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 R 1,391

$96.0 R 1,554

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 R 1,267

$73.2 R 1,185

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 R 9,069

$365 R 5,912

53.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 R 10.0K

$367 R 5,942

68.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 R 22.5K

$761 R 12.3K

82.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 R 14.2K

$577 R 9,340

51.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$926 R 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 R 9,583

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,546 R 25.0K

$1,387 R 22.5K

11.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

12.01

-4.16%

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

Last update for Roodepoort: June 14, 2026

Last update for Durban: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $560 in Roodepoort versus $365 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 11% higher in Roodepoort, 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 $45.00 in Roodepoort versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $167 – 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

Roodepoort vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Roodepoort is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,027 per month in Roodepoort and $1,565 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 $45.00 in Roodepoort and $28.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Roodepoort, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,043, than in Roodepoort at $1,351. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roodepoort 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, Roodepoort makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.