Cost of Living Comparison Between Tembisa and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Tembisa and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,129 per month in Tembisa vs $1,171 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,768 per month in Tembisa vs $1,816 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,406 per month in Tembisa vs $2,461 in Durban, rent included.

Tembisa is about 4% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Tembisa and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Tembisa 18% lower, Durban 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.52 R 169

$7.90 R 127

33.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.92 R 675

$39.25 R 632

6.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 R 93.7

$6.07 R 97.8

-4.12%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.18

$2.85 R 45.83

-16.84%

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

$1.13 R 18.15

$1.18 R 19.02

-4.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.28

$0.93 R 14.92

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.54 R 40.87

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 44.02

$2.61 R 42.00

4.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.61

$1.30 R 21.01

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.14

$1.07 R 17.24

5.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.03

$1.56 R 25.08

15.38%

Eggs

$2.61 R 42.00

$2.44 R 39.31

6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 R 140

$8.54 R 137

1.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 R 87.4

$5.32 R 85.6

2.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 R 123

$7.14 R 115

7.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.03

$1.97 R 31.69

-2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.71

$1.95 R 31.37

-14.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.58

$2.04 R 32.89

-9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.31

$1.63 R 26.26

4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.02

$1.56 R 25.08

-0.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.55

$1.44 R 23.25

1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R 20.55

$1.25 R 20.18

2.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 17.13

$1.20 R 19.30

-11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 R 58.1

$3.65 R 58.8

-1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 R 89.7

$4.95 R 79.7

12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 22.89

$1.50 R 24.20

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 28.68

$2.00 R 32.17

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 28.74

$1.91 R 30.69

-6.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.78 R 367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.63

$0.46 R 7.39

30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.22

$0.77 R 12.44

23.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 R 143

$7.69 R 124

15.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 R 24.25

$1.49 R 24.07

1.34%

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

$39.5K R 635.9K

$36.5K R 588.1K

8.13%

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

$34.8K R 560.5K

$33.5K R 538.9K

4.00%

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

$144 R 2,318

$144 R 2,326

-0.37%

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

$38.59 R 621

$34.78 R 560

10.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.91 R 611

$41.26 R 664

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.04 R 516

$32.89 R 530

-2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 R 150

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 R 121

$6.88 R 111

9.16%

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

$257 R 4,138

$324 R 5,218

-20.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,205 R 83.8K

$8,024 R 129.2K

-35.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 R 814

$56.7 R 912

-10.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.46 R 474

$31.20 R 502

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,905

$101 R 1,619

17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 R 1,350

$91.2 R 1,469

-8.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,728

$490 R 7,898

-14.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 R 5,953

$390 R 6,275

-5.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 R 11.2K

$833 R 13.4K

-16.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 R 12.4K

$789 R 12.7K

-2.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$890 R 14.3K

$924 R 14.9K

-3.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$623 R 10.0K

$614 R 9,895

1.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 R 9,370

$1,293 R 20.8K

-55.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.81

-6.86%

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

Last update for Tembisa: September 5, 2026

Last update for Durban: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Tembisa 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.

Salaries run about 122% higher in Durban, 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 $42.00 in Tembisa versus $39.00 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Tembisa vs $200 in Durban – so Tembisa 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

Tembisa vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 4%, 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 $1,693 per month in Tembisa 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 Tembisa, 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 $42.00 in Tembisa and $39.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Durban – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tembisa, where all-in costs run around $1,129, than in Durban at $1,171. In Tembisa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tembisa – 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 Tembisa. 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.