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 $1,052 per month in St Francis Bay vs $1,121 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,736 per month in St Francis Bay vs $1,782 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,421 per month in St Francis Bay vs $2,442 in Durban, rent included.

St Francis Bay is about 6% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both St Francis Bay and Durban are more affordable than the global median – St Francis Bay 23% lower, Durban 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.21 R 182

$7.97 R 129

40.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 R 706

$39.63 R 644

9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 R 59.9

$6.11 R 99.2

-39.61%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 34.63

$2.82 R 45.85

-24.47%

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

$1.10 R 17.81

$1.16 R 18.89

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.85

$0.87 R 14.06

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R 34.83

$2.43 R 39.47

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.23

$2.58 R 41.85

-27.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R 14.88

$1.25 R 20.37

-26.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.56

$1.04 R 16.93

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.21

$1.59 R 25.82

-2.52%

Eggs

$2.87 R 46.62

$2.50 R 40.59

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 R 123

$8.58 R 139

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 89.1

$5.34 R 86.7

2.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.90 R 145

$7.08 R 115

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 35.58

$1.93 R 31.35

13.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.03

$1.91 R 31.07

-16.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.34

$1.99 R 32.38

-12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.24

$1.63 R 26.51

10.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.21

$1.51 R 24.53

15.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.35

$1.47 R 23.84

-2.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.08

$1.24 R 20.23

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.42

$1.22 R 19.89

-17.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 R 53.2

$3.78 R 61.4

-13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 R 81.8

$5.01 R 81.5

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.70

$1.43 R 23.31

-11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.47

$1.97 R 32.08

-8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 R 25.79

$1.89 R 30.78

-15.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 R 358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 9.88

$0.47 R 7.64

29.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 R 8.33

$0.71 R 11.48

-28.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 R 138

$7.76 R 126

9.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.15

$1.50 R 24.43

-9.33%

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

$21.1K R 342.6K

$35.7K R 579.9K

-40.91%

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

$35.1K R 570.9K

$32.2K R 523.4K

9.09%

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

$62.8 R 1,021

$142 R 2,307

-55.75%

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

$35.85 R 582

$33.63 R 546

6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.63 R 725

$39.63 R 644

12.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.06 R 537

$32.30 R 525

2.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 R 201

$9.25 R 150

33.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 R 149

$6.75 R 110

36.30%

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

$183 R 2,972

$326 R 5,299

-43.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 R 105.0K

$7,698 R 125.1K

-16.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 R 1,189

$55.2 R 897

32.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 R 630

$30.38 R 494

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,893

$101 R 1,640

15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 R 1,593

$87.4 R 1,419

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R 7,054

$483 R 7,843

-10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,982

$374 R 6,073

-1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 R 13.2K

$825 R 13.4K

-1.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 R 12.8K

$789 R 12.8K

-0.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$909 R 14.8K

$890 R 14.5K

2.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 R 11.3K

$581 R 9,442

19.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,269 R 20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.81

1.10%

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

Last update for St Francis Bay: September 13, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in St Francis Bay versus $483 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 $43.00 in St Francis Bay versus $40.00 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in St Francis Bay vs $198 in Durban – so St Francis Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 7%, 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 $1,578 per month in St Francis Bay and $1,681 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 $43.00 in St Francis Bay and $40.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St Francis Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,052, than in Durban at $1,121. In St Francis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.