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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,148 per month in Uitenhage vs $1,150 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,819 per month in Uitenhage vs $1,789 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,490 per month in Uitenhage vs $2,428 in Durban, rent included.

Uitenhage and Durban have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Uitenhage and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Uitenhage 16% lower, Durban 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 R 181

$8.10 R 129

40.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.96 R 701

$40.00 R 638

9.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 R 94.7

$5.80 R 92.6

2.41%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 35.78

$2.78 R 44.41

-19.42%

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

$1.05 R 16.79

$1.14 R 18.24

-7.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.12

$0.93 R 14.86

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R 45.25

$2.42 R 38.65

17.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 R 53.3

$2.77 R 44.25

20.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 18.49

$1.25 R 20.01

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 R 14.00

$0.99 R 15.81

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R 23.69

$1.64 R 26.18

-9.76%

Eggs

$2.92 R 46.54

$2.44 R 38.98

19.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 R 141

$8.65 R 138

2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 R 86.9

$5.64 R 90.0

-3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 R 142

$7.30 R 116

22.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 34.87

$1.88 R 30.04

16.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.42

$1.91 R 30.46

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.74

$1.93 R 30.74

-12.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.50

$1.67 R 26.70

10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 27.69

$1.55 R 24.75

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.44

$1.53 R 24.39

-3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R 20.43

$1.22 R 19.52

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R 16.99

$1.25 R 19.89

-14.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R 48.57

$3.72 R 59.3

-18.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.81 R 60.7

$4.83 R 77.0

-21.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 20.77

$1.51 R 24.11

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R 28.63

$1.97 R 31.46

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R 25.63

$1.93 R 30.75

-16.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.24 R 355

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.62

$0.45 R 7.19

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.27

$0.77 R 12.24

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 R 143

$7.72 R 123

16.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.47

$1.47 R 23.39

-4.08%

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

$36.6K R 584.6K

$36.5K R 582.0K

0.45%

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

$34.8K R 555.5K

$33.0K R 526.0K

5.60%

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

$125 R 1,986

$148 R 2,363

-15.96%

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

$35.42 R 565

$35.25 R 562

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.14 R 736

$38.89 R 620

18.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.59 R 536

$31.54 R 503

6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.41 R 150

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 R 173

$6.68 R 107

62.72%

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

$185 R 2,950

$331 R 5,281

-44.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,268 R 100.0K

$7,462 R 119.0K

-16.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 R 1,158

$53.4 R 852

35.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.97 R 654

$30.55 R 487

34.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,856

$101 R 1,611

15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 R 1,623

$88.7 R 1,415

14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 R 6,575

$490 R 7,809

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 R 6,045

$400 R 6,379

-5.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 R 12.0K

$862 R 13.8K

-13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 R 12.2K

$790 R 12.6K

-2.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$892 R 14.2K

$934 R 14.9K

-4.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 R 10.4K

$590 R 9,411

10.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,250 R 19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

11.66

2.40%

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

Last update for Uitenhage: August 30, 2026

Last update for Durban: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Uitenhage 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 $44.00 in Uitenhage versus $40.00 in Durban. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Uitenhage vs $201 in Durban – so Uitenhage 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

Uitenhage vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,722 per month in Uitenhage and $1,726 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 $44.00 in Uitenhage and $40.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $185 per month in Uitenhage and $331 in Durban. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Uitenhage, where all-in costs run around $1,148, than in Durban at $1,150. In Uitenhage it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.