Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suffolk, VA and Midrand

For one person, living is cheaper in Midrand: $1,097 a month against $2,182 in Suffolk, VA, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Suffolk, VA
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Suffolk, VA Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Midrand
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Midrand Living Index

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Suffolk, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,182

/mo nomad

Midrand

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,097

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suffolk, VA and in Midrand

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Suffolk, VA and in Midrand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,182 in Suffolk, VA versus $1,097 in Midrand.

Suffolk, VA $2,182
Midrand $1,097

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Suffolk, VA versus $1,641 in Midrand.

Suffolk, VA $3,193
Midrand $1,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,203 in Suffolk, VA versus $2,185 in Midrand.

Suffolk, VA $4,203
Midrand $2,185

Living in Suffolk, VA is roughly 99% more expensive than in Midrand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suffolk, VA is 60% above, Midrand is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 $20.34

$5.71 R 95.1

256.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$30.15 R 502

163.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$3.12 R 52.0

291.67%

Cappuccino

$4.53 $4.53

$1.78 R 29.64

154.49%

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

$2.01 $2.01

$1.23 R 20.45

63.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.92 R 15.35

120.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.37 R 39.41

71.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 $5.33

$2.39 R 39.88

123.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.33 R 22.21

-18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.19 R 19.90

94.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.31 R 21.79

105.34%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$2.80 R 46.64

40.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.14 $16.14

$9.06 R 151

78.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$5.55 R 92.5

-3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$9.05 R 151

96.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.02 R 33.67

98.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.09 R 18.11

-3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.75 R 29.24

10.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.49 R 24.83

201.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.72 R 28.65

49.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.85 R 30.78

16.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.23 R 20.53

38.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.27 R 21.24

144.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$3.29 R 54.9

184.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$5.42 R 90.3

171.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$0.94 R 15.68

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.24 R 20.70

209.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 25.07

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$0.83 R 13.84

373.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.58 R 9.68

241.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.85 $24.85

$14.67 R 245

69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.46 R 24.29

-41.78%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$34.4K R 572.5K

-13.17%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$30.3K R 504.1K

-14.82%

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

$148 $148

$108 R 1,798

36.91%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$24.41 R 407

115.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$37.64 R 627

111.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 R 538

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.71 R 178

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 $15.04

$8.73 R 145

72.28%

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

$878 $878

$183 R 3,054

379.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,471 R 91.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.91 $46.91

$59.3 R 987

-20.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.44 $48.44

$45.72 R 762

5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$84.3 R 1,405

18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$84.2 R 1,403

61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 $1,234

$492 R 8,205

150.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 $1,061

$441 R 7,341

140.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 $2,043

$834 R 13.9K

144.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$758 R 12.6K

117.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 R 14.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$694 R 11.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,689 $4,689

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

10.91

-47.94%

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

Last update for Suffolk, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Midrand: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Suffolk, VA

$1.1K 48.6%

Midrand

$441 40.2% 58.5% $621

Groceries & Markets

Suffolk, VA

$347 15.9%

Midrand

$202 18.4% 41.8% $145

Eating Out

Suffolk, VA

$301 13.8%

Midrand

$102 9.3% 66.2% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suffolk, VA

$280 12.8%

Midrand

$170 15.5% 39.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Suffolk, VA

$149 6.8%

Midrand

$123 11.2% 17.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Suffolk, VA

$30 * 1.4%

Midrand

$50 4.5% 65.4% $20

Getting Around

Suffolk, VA

$14 * 0.6%

Midrand

$9.8 * 0.9% 29.4% $4.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,234 in Suffolk, VA and $492 in Midrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80 in Suffolk, VA vs $30 in Midrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $202 per month, with Midrand cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Suffolk, VA

🇿🇦 Midrand

🕒 Local time

14:40 2:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

6 h ahead of Suffolk, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,324

87,387

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

ZAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Suffolk, VA Midrand 12,950 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Suffolk, VA
Midrand

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

Suffolk, VA vs Midrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midrand is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,274 in Suffolk, VA and $1,645 in Midrand to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,234 in Suffolk, VA versus $492 in Midrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Suffolk, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,182 per month in Suffolk, VA versus $1,097 in Midrand – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,097 in Midrand versus $2,182 in Suffolk, VA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Midrand but tight or insufficient in Suffolk, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Midrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.