Cost of Living Comparison Between St Francis Bay and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between St Francis Bay and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,026 per month in St Francis Bay vs $1,082 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in St Francis Bay vs $1,546 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,147 per month in St Francis Bay vs $2,009 in Durban, rent included.

St Francis Bay is about 5% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both St Francis Bay and Durban are more affordable than the global median – St Francis Bay 24% lower, Durban 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 R 136

$7.45 R 120

12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.69 R 545

$28.11 R 454

19.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 R 80.4

$5.02 R 81.2

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 32.79

$1.91 R 30.87

6.28%

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

$1.02 R 16.56

$0.93 R 15.10

9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.53

$0.71 R 11.45

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R 36.65

$1.92 R 31.08

18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 40.54

$2.18 R 35.32

15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.01

$0.99 R 16.07

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.04

$0.89 R 14.47

17.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.04

$1.41 R 22.83

14.18%

Eggs

$2.47 R 39.98

$2.10 R 33.90

17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 R 128

$7.52 R 122

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 R 75.1

$4.40 R 71.1

5.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 R 107

$6.23 R 101

5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.34

$1.51 R 24.38

7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.82

$1.37 R 22.15

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.08

$1.34 R 21.60

11.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.63

$1.35 R 21.78

22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.20

$1.28 R 20.63

7.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.13

$1.17 R 18.85

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.11

$1.03 R 16.61

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.61

$0.89 R 14.33

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R 44.14

$3.13 R 50.6

-12.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 R 77.5

$4.83 R 78.2

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.21

$1.45 R 23.48

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 27.94

$1.68 R 27.24

2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.22

$1.56 R 25.29

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 R 615

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 17.91

$1.66 R 26.86

-33.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R 14.15

$0.59 R 9.48

47.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 R 66.0

$6.87 R 111

-40.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.64

$1.33 R 21.47

-3.76%

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

$21.1K R 341.0K

$19.9K R 322.1K

5.86%

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

$24.3K R 392.5K

$24.0K R 387.7K

1.23%

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

$117 R 1,898

$143 R 2,305

-17.66%

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

$34.91 R 564

$29.22 R 472

19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.76 R 675

$33.14 R 536

26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.43 R 492

$33.87 R 548

-10.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.04 R 178

$9.20 R 149

20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 R 108

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

$193 R 3,124

$207 R 3,354

-6.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,316 R 69.8K

$4,534 R 73.3K

-4.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 R 802

$42.27 R 683

17.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 R 524

$30.10 R 487

7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 R 1,407

$92.9 R 1,502

-6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,271

$74.1 R 1,198

6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 R 5,854

$380 R 6,137

-4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 R 5,484

$369 R 5,962

-8.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 R 11.1K

$754 R 12.2K

-9.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.3K

$579 R 9,364

20.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 R 14.5K

$888 R 14.4K

1.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$709 R 11.5K

$576 R 9,314

23.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,375 R 22.2K

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 St Francis Bay: June 8, 2026

Last update for Durban: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in St Francis Bay versus $380 in Durban. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in St Francis Bay versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $165 – 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

St Francis Bay vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 5%, 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 $1,539 per month in St Francis Bay and $1,623 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Francis Bay, 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 $34.00 in St Francis Bay and $28.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Durban – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,026 in St Francis Bay and $1,082 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward St Francis Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

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