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City Profile

Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Compare Chatsworth Custom Comparison
61
Overall Score

Chatsworth is a major residential area located south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Originally established in the 1960s under apartheid-era group areas legislation, it has evolved into a vibrant cultural hub with a predominantly Indian South African population. Today, it is renowned for its strong community ties, bustling local shopping centers, and a rich culinary and religious heritage that defines its unique character.

About KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is a diverse South African province known for its subtropical coastline, the Drakensberg Mountains, and a rich blend of Zulu, Indian, and colonial cultures. Its economy, the second largest in South Africa, is driven by manufacturing (including automotive, chemical, and food and beverage industries), finance, real estate, and a significant transport and logistics sector due to the major ports of Durban and Richards Bay. The climate ranges from humid subtropical along the coast to more temperate inland, with warm to hot temperatures year-round, making outdoor activities popular. While the cost of living can vary, Durban offers a relatively affordable lifestyle compared to other major South African cities, with diverse housing options available.

190,000
Population
$10K
Avg Salary
38
Cost Index
61.0
Quality Score
How this 61/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them
Component Readings used Points Weight Contributes
Safety Safety score: 45 / 100 45.0 30% 13.5
Affordability Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 38.0 100.0 25% 25.0
Economy & jobs Median household income: $11,500 Income needed to live here: $7,500 Unemployment rate: 28.5% 45.8 20% 9.2
Growth Population growth rate: 1.1% Job growth rate: 1.4% 50.3 15% 7.5
Business climate assessment Business climate assessment: 58 / 100 58.0 10% 5.8
Overall score 61.0

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Gemini (ungrounded) (q=54, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 16 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business
58
Livability
65
Affordability
82
Growth
60

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Chatsworth is notably lower than in central Durban or major international benchmarks, making it an accessible area for working-class and middle-class households. Everyday expenses such as local transport via minibus taxis, fresh produce from local markets, and affordable housing options help keep baseline costs manageable. Nevertheless, national inflationary pressures, particularly concerning electricity and fuel prices, continue to challenge household budgets across the community.

Average Rent
$380/mo
Groceries
$220/mo
Transport
$65/mo
Utilities
$95/mo
Healthcare
$110/mo
Gym membership (monthly)
$28.00
Cinema ticket
$6.00
Restaurant meal (mid-range)
$12.00
Monthly groceries
$200.00
Doctor visit (without insurance)
$35.00

Income

Salary Insights

The local economy is heavily driven by retail trade, small-to-medium enterprises, light manufacturing, and community services. A significant portion of the working population commutes daily to nearby industrial and commercial nodes such as Mobeni, Jacobs, and central Durban. While formal corporate job growth is modest, entrepreneurial activity and informal trading play a vital role in sustaining local livelihoods.

The average salary in Chatsworth is $9,800 per year. You would need approximately $7,500 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Manufacturing +1.20% Healthcare and Social Services +1.50% Education Services +1.10% Retail and Wholesale Trade +1.80% Transport and Logistics +2.00%

Weather

Climate

🌡️
18°C
Avg Temp
☀️
17°C
Summer High
❄️
16°C
Winter Low
🌧️
15.30"
Annual Rain
💧
72.00%
Humidity
🌤️
310
Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Transportation is heavily reliant on the iconic South African minibus taxi network, municipal bus services, and private motor vehicles. While central shopping precincts offer decent walkability, car ownership or reliance on taxis is essential for commuting to broader employment hubs. Major arterial routes, such as the Higginson Highway, experience significant traffic congestion during morning and evening peak hours.

35 min
Avg Commute
48.00/10
Transit Score
52.00/10
Walkability
High
Car Dependency
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At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages
Rich cultural heritage and a strong sense of community solidarity
Affordable housing options compared to central Durban and affluent suburbs
Abundant local markets, specialty food stores, and diverse culinary offerings
Close proximity to major industrial hubs like Mobeni and Jacobs for employment
Pleasantly mild climate with high annual sunshine days
Drawbacks
High rates of property and opportunistic crime requiring robust private security
Severe traffic congestion during peak hours along primary routes like Higginson Highway
Inconsistent municipal infrastructure maintenance and sporadic service delivery delays
High national unemployment rates impacting local economic mobility
Overburdened public healthcare facilities leading to long wait times

Head to Head

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Nearby Cities

Margate
65
Durban
64
Tongaat
61
KwaDukuza
61

Community Q&A

Questions about Chatsworth

What people ask about living in and moving to Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal.

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Gathering the most common questions about Chatsworth…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The consumer market basket tracks everyday necessities, including staple grocery items (such as milk, bread, eggs, and produce), residential energy bills (electricity, gas, and water), public and private transit costs, routine outpatient medical care, and standard consumer goods and services to ensure a representative monthly budget.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Local tax climates significantly shift a city's affordability score by directly affecting disposable income. Urblytica factors in state income tax brackets, local municipal property tax millage rates, and combined sales taxes to measure the true tax drag on median household earnings.

Core economic indexes and consumer price metrics undergo a comprehensive quarterly recalibration. This update cycle integrates the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) releases, municipal utility rate adjustments, and regional housing data feeds to ensure all index comparisons reflect current economic conditions.

Housing is weighted as the single largest component in Urblytica's cost-of-living algorithm, typically accounting for roughly 30% to 35% of the composite score. It incorporates both median monthly gross rent and median single-family home purchase prices relative to local median income levels.

Normalization involves adjusting raw economic inputs against localized purchasing power parities (PPPs) and population-weighted density scales. This ensures fair, apples-to-apples comparisons between dense metropolitan hubs and smaller suburban or rural towns.

Utility indexing applies a rolling annual average that captures seasonal climate variations, such as increased summer air conditioning loads in southern climates or heavier winter heating demands in northern regions, providing a realistic year-round average utility expense.

Remote workers leverage the index to calculate real purchasing power parity when moving from a high-cost-of-living area to a lower-cost region. By comparing index differentials against their fixed salary, users can determine if their net savings and lifestyle quality will improve post-relocation.

While the raw Cost of Living Index measures pure expense levels, it is frequently paired with Urblytica’s local wage index and median household income benchmarks. This combined view highlights whether local salaries keep pace with local consumer goods and housing expenses.

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