Cost of Living Comparison Between Uitenhage and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Uitenhage and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $987 per month in Uitenhage vs $1,058 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,564 per month in Uitenhage vs $1,552 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,141 per month in Uitenhage vs $2,046 in Durban, rent included.

Uitenhage is about 7% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Uitenhage and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Uitenhage 26% lower, Durban 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 R 140

$7.60 R 126

10.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 R 551

$28.12 R 466

18.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 R 79.2

$4.97 R 82.4

-3.82%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R 33.74

$1.97 R 32.59

3.55%

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

$1.02 R 16.97

$0.87 R 14.39

17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.84

$0.67 R 11.15

14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.35

$1.93 R 31.90

17.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.09

$2.22 R 36.71

11.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R 18.30

$1.00 R 16.49

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.52

$0.91 R 15.08

16.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.00

$1.48 R 24.59

6.08%

Eggs

$2.40 R 39.68

$2.11 R 34.91

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 R 125

$7.28 R 121

3.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R 74.9

$4.59 R 76.1

-1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.59 R 109

$6.33 R 105

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.88

$1.57 R 26.02

7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.62

$1.36 R 22.50

9.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.68

$1.38 R 22.86

12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.49

$1.36 R 22.56

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.63

$1.27 R 21.05

7.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.47

$1.18 R 19.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 18.20

$0.97 R 16.12

13.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.27

$0.96 R 15.87

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R 45.22

$3.13 R 51.9

-12.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.78 R 62.6

$5.02 R 83.2

-24.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.73

$1.46 R 24.19

-6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.54

$1.75 R 28.93

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 27.77

$1.50 R 24.80

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.86 R 627

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.03

$1.71 R 28.29

-36.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.94

$0.61 R 10.15

57.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 R 67.6

$6.78 R 112

-39.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.61

$1.28 R 21.13

-3.13%

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

$21.5K R 356.0K

$20.3K R 336.3K

5.86%

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

$23.9K R 395.5K

$24.2K R 401.4K

-1.48%

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

$116 R 1,920

$147 R 2,433

-21.09%

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

$34.69 R 575

$29.29 R 485

18.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.37 R 702

$33.72 R 558

25.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.27 R 518

$34.46 R 571

-9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 R 151

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 112

$6.56 R 109

3.35%

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

$195 R 3,237

$210 R 3,470

-6.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,404 R 72.9K

$4,585 R 75.9K

-3.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R 847

$42.78 R 709

19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.95 R 529

$29.50 R 489

8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 R 1,485

$93.3 R 1,544

-3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 R 1,308

$73.1 R 1,210

8.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 R 5,998

$373 R 6,179

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 R 5,507

$368 R 6,088

-9.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 R 11.4K

$754 R 12.5K

-8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 R 11.5K

$594 R 9,836

17.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$978 R 16.2K

$910 R 15.1K

7.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 R 9,984

$581 R 9,621

3.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,395 R 23.1K

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 Uitenhage: June 1, 2026

Last update for Durban: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in Uitenhage versus $373 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 $33.00 in Uitenhage versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $168 – 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

Uitenhage 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 $1,481 per month in Uitenhage and $1,587 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uitenhage, 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 $33.00 in Uitenhage 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 4% cheaper in Durban – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $987 in Uitenhage and $1,058 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Uitenhage – 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 Uitenhage. 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.