Cost of Living Comparison Between Welkom and Durban Cost of Living Comparison Between Welkom and Durban

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $963 per month in Welkom vs $1,058 in Durban, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,493 per month in Welkom vs $1,552 in Durban, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,022 per month in Welkom vs $2,046 in Durban, rent included.

Welkom is about 9% cheaper than Durban, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Welkom and Durban are more affordable than the global median – Welkom 28% lower, Durban 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 R 135

$7.60 R 123

9.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 R 322

$28.12 R 457

-29.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 R 78.9

$4.97 R 80.8

-2.21%

Cappuccino

$1.60 R 26.00

$1.97 R 31.98

-18.78%

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

$0.46 R 7.48

$0.87 R 14.12

-47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 R 8.91

$0.67 R 10.94

-17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 R 18.52

$1.93 R 31.30

-40.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 23.03

$2.22 R 36.02

-36.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R 15.15

$1.00 R 16.18

-7.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.19

$0.91 R 14.80

9.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.63

$1.48 R 24.13

-14.19%

Eggs

$1.72 R 28.01

$2.11 R 34.25

-18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 R 98.9

$7.28 R 118

-16.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 R 68.9

$4.59 R 74.7

-7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.51 R 73.3

$6.33 R 103

-28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.33

$1.57 R 25.53

-8.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.78

$1.36 R 22.08

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.78

$1.38 R 22.43

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 R 17.84

$1.36 R 22.14

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R 18.74

$1.27 R 20.66

-9.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.38

$1.18 R 19.18

-4.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R 14.02

$0.97 R 15.82

-11.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R 18.16

$0.96 R 15.57

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 R 36.92

$3.13 R 50.9

-27.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.40 R 38.99

$5.02 R 81.6

-52.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 R 23.39

$1.46 R 23.74

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 R 26.49

$1.75 R 28.39

-6.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.28

$1.50 R 24.33

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.86 R 615

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.18

$1.71 R 27.76

-16.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 R 22.53

$0.61 R 9.95

127.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 R 50.3

$6.78 R 110

-54.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R 18.97

$1.28 R 20.73

-8.59%

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

$19.5K R 316.2K

$20.3K R 330.0K

-4.18%

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

$26.1K R 424.2K

$24.2K R 393.9K

7.70%

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

$125 R 2,039

$147 R 2,388

-14.60%

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

$38.02 R 618

$29.29 R 476

29.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.99 R 617

$33.72 R 548

12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.12 R 506

$34.46 R 560

-9.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 R 149

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 R 122

$6.56 R 107

14.18%

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

$200 R 3,242

$210 R 3,405

-4.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,319 R 70.2K

$4,585 R 74.5K

-5.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 834

$42.78 R 695

19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.37 R 526

$29.50 R 479

9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 R 1,402

$93.3 R 1,515

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 R 1,437

$73.1 R 1,187

21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 5,931

$373 R 6,063

-2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 R 5,357

$368 R 5,974

-10.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.3K

$754 R 12.2K

-7.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 R 11.2K

$594 R 9,651

16.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$983 R 16.0K

$910 R 14.8K

8.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.5K

$581 R 9,440

32.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,395 R 22.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

12.01

-2.66%

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

Last update for Welkom: May 31, 2026

Last update for Durban: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Welkom 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 $20.00 in Welkom versus $28.00 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $168 – making Welkom 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

Welkom vs Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durban is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,445 per month in Welkom 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 Welkom, 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 $20.00 in Welkom and $28.00 in Durban. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Durban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $963 in Welkom and $1,058 in Durban, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Welkom – 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 Welkom. 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.