Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uitenhage and Durban

For one person, living costs are similar in Uitenhage and in Durban: $1,167 and $1,166 a month, rent and utilities included.

Uitenhage
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,167
/mo nomad
Durban
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,166
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uitenhage and in Durban

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

A single person spends $1,167 per month in Uitenhage vs $1,166 in Durban, rent included.

  • Uitenhage $1,167
  • Durban $1,166

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in Uitenhage vs $1,788 in Durban, rent included.

  • Uitenhage $1,832
  • Durban $1,788

A family of three spends $2,497 per month in Uitenhage vs $2,411 in Durban, rent included.

  • Uitenhage $2,497
  • Durban $2,411

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 14% lower, Durban 14% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.99 R 181
$8.00 R 132
37.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.28 R 713
$38.82 R 640
11.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 R 96.9
$6.14 R 101
-4.23%
Cappuccino
$2.17 R 35.83
$2.62 R 43.15
-17.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 R 17.38
$1.10 R 18.19
-3.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 R 12.00
$0.91 R 14.92
-19.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.68 R 44.15
$2.46 R 40.48
8.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 R 53.5
$2.56 R 42.25
26.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 R 19.29
$1.19 R 19.55
-1.68%
White Bread (500g)
$0.81 R 13.36
$0.93 R 15.38
-12.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 R 25.02
$1.55 R 25.61
-1.94%
Eggs
$2.84 R 46.76
$2.34 R 38.49
21.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.91 R 147
$8.47 R 140
5.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.35 R 88.2
$5.21 R 85.9
2.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$7.19 R 119
21.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.29
$2.02 R 33.21
8.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 R 24.85
$1.89 R 31.10
-20.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.69 R 27.80
$1.93 R 31.79
-12.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 R 29.92
$1.66 R 27.42
9.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 R 29.08
$1.52 R 24.99
16.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 R 23.94
$1.45 R 23.89
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.50
$1.17 R 19.23
11.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 R 16.84
$1.15 R 18.88
-11.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.12 R 51.4
$3.59 R 59.1
-13.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.68 R 60.6
$4.99 R 82.3
-26.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 R 21.16
$1.48 R 24.37
-13.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 R 29.97
$1.94 R 31.93
-6.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.51 R 24.95
$1.86 R 30.60
-18.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.23 R 366
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.60 R 9.82
$0.45 R 7.43
33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.51 R 8.41
$0.74 R 12.23
-31.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.68 R 143
$7.85 R 129
10.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 R 24.50
$1.57 R 25.80
-5.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K R 587.1K
$36.1K R 594.9K
-1.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K R 577.1K
$33.2K R 546.3K
5.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 R 2,066
$151 R 2,482
-16.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.55 R 586
$36.50 R 601
-2.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.37 R 747
$39.27 R 647
15.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.09 R 496
$32.16 R 530
-6.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.05 R 199
$8.90 R 147
35.39%
Cinema Ticket
$10.55 R 174
$7.50 R 123
40.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$179 R 2,955
$315 R 5,184
-42.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,248 R 102.9K
$7,763 R 127.9K
-19.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.6 R 1,196
$54.3 R 895
33.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.39 R 632
$30.58 R 504
25.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 R 1,873
$98.7 R 1,627
15.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 R 1,584
$83.1 R 1,370
15.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$443 R 7,304
$470 R 7,738
-5.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$401 R 6,606
$405 R 6,666
-0.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$646 R 10.6K
$824 R 13.6K
-21.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$798 R 13.1K
$783 R 12.9K
1.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$897 R 14.8K
$906 R 14.9K
-0.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$740 R 12.2K
$589 R 9,707
25.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Uitenhage
Durban
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,296 R 21.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.94
11.78
1.36%

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

Last update for Uitenhage: October 20, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Uitenhage
$401
Durban
$405 0.9% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Uitenhage
$206
Durban
$226 9.7% $20
Groceries & Markets
Uitenhage
$196
Durban
$194 0.8% $1.5
Eating Out
Uitenhage
$159
Durban
$139 12.2% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Uitenhage
$144
Durban
$120 16.9% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Uitenhage
$51
Durban
$47 7.9% $4
Getting Around
Uitenhage
$9.2 *
Durban
$34 267% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $443 in Uitenhage versus $470 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 $43.00 in Uitenhage versus $39.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $194 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Uitenhage
🇿🇦 Durban
🕒 Local time
13:43 1:43 PM
13:43 1:43 PM
Same time as Uitenhage
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
103,639
3,442,361
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Uitenhage Durban 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Uitenhage
  • Durban

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
Uitenhage vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,750 per month in Uitenhage and $1,749 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Uitenhage or in Durban?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Uitenhage and $39.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $179 per month in Uitenhage and $315 in Durban. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Uitenhage or in Durban?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,166, than in Uitenhage at $1,167. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uitenhage it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Uitenhage or Durban more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Durban. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Uitenhage makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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