Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,312 per month in Sun City vs $1,171 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,992 per month in Sun City vs $1,816 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,673 per month in Sun City vs $2,461 in Durban, rent included.

Sun City costs about 12% more than Durban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sun City and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Sun City 5% lower, Durban 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 R 198

$7.90 R 126

56.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.04 R 769

$39.25 R 628

22.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 R 122

$6.07 R 97.1

25.86%

Cappuccino

$2.60 R 41.63

$2.85 R 45.54

-8.77%

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

$1.19 R 19.08

$1.18 R 18.90

0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.04

$0.93 R 14.83

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 R 34.08

$2.54 R 40.61

-16.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 R 44.60

$2.61 R 41.73

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R 21.62

$1.30 R 20.88

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.28

$1.07 R 17.13

18.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.53

$1.56 R 24.92

18.59%

Eggs

$2.68 R 42.87

$2.44 R 39.06

9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 R 143

$8.54 R 137

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.61 R 89.8

$5.32 R 85.1

5.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R 148

$7.14 R 114

29.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 34.98

$1.97 R 31.49

11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.46

$1.95 R 31.17

-2.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.55

$2.04 R 32.68

-9.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 R 33.89

$1.63 R 26.09

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.43

$1.56 R 24.92

14.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 R 31.47

$1.44 R 23.10

36.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 23.77

$1.25 R 20.05

19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.05

$1.20 R 19.17

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 R 56.1

$3.65 R 58.4

-3.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 R 102

$4.95 R 79.2

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 R 30.52

$1.50 R 24.05

27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 39.48

$2.00 R 31.96

23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 R 23.91

$1.91 R 30.50

-21.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.78 R 365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R 16.19

$0.46 R 7.34

119.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R 15.52

$0.77 R 12.37

25.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.81 R 237

$7.69 R 123

92.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.19

$1.49 R 23.92

5.37%

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

$36.6K R 585.2K

$36.5K R 584.4K

0.15%

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

$33.2K R 531.6K

$33.5K R 535.4K

-0.71%

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

$225 R 3,607

$144 R 2,312

56.05%

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

$39.48 R 632

$34.78 R 557

13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.10 R 610

$41.26 R 660

-7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.18 R 547

$32.89 R 526

3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 R 149

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 R 134

$6.88 R 110

21.95%

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

$257 R 4,118

$324 R 5,184

-20.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,720 R 91.5K

$8,024 R 128.4K

-28.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 R 953

$56.7 R 907

5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.23 R 772

$31.20 R 499

54.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 R 1,728

$101 R 1,608

7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 R 1,793

$91.2 R 1,459

22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 R 6,869

$490 R 7,848

-12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R 6,418

$390 R 6,235

2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 R 12.8K

$833 R 13.3K

-3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 R 13.3K

$789 R 12.6K

5.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$870 R 13.9K

$924 R 14.8K

-5.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$628 R 10.0K

$614 R 9,832

2.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,293 R 20.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.81

-7.62%

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

Last update for Sun City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Sun City versus $490 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 $48.00 in Sun City versus $39.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $200 – 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

Sun City vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sun City is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,967 per month in Sun City and $1,756 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 $48.00 in Sun City and $39.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Sun City, 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 $1,171, than in Sun City at $1,312. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sun City 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.

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 Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sun City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.