What it costs to drive from Joburg to Durban at R26 per litre
It’s an expensive time to plan a road trip in South Africa, as petrol and diesel prices are at record highs, following successive fuel price hikes in March, April, and May.
It’s an unfortunate turn of events, as South Africa briefly enjoyed its lowest fuel prices in four years in February 2026, with petrol trading as low as R19.20 per litre.
Since then, the war in the Middle East has caused global oil prices to skyrocket to levels not seen since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
With that in mind, you’ll need to budget a lot more for petrol if you plan to drive between Joburg and Durban anytime soon, as you can expect to spend a minimum of R1,919.98 on fuel and other travel costs.
What it costs to drive from Johannesburg to Durban
Using central Johannesburg as a starting point, we measured a route along the N3 to Durban’s CBD.
This route is approximately 570km long and expected to take six hours.
Following May’s fuel price adjustments, motorists are paying R26.63 per litre for petrol 95 at inland rates.
As a result, this is how much you can expect to pay for petrol to travel from Joburg to Durban and back again, depending on your car’s fuel efficiency:
| Fuel economy | Fuel needed | One-way trip | Return trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0l/100km | 23 litres | R612.49 | R1,224.98 |
| 5.0l/100km | 29 litres | R772.27 | R1,544.54 |
| 6.0l/100km | 34 litres | R905.42 | R1,810.84 |
| 7.0l/100km | 40 litres | R1,065.20 | R2,130.40 |
| 8.0l/100km | 46 litres | R1,224.98 | R2,449.96 |
| 9.0l/100km | 51 litres | R1,358.13 | R2,716.26 |
| 10.0l/100km | 57 litres | R1,517.91 | R3,035.82 |
| 11.0l/100km | 63 litres | R1,677.69 | R3,355.38 |
| 12.0l/100km | 68 litres | R1,810.84 | R3,621.68 |
| 13.0l/100km | 74 litres | R1,970.62 | R3,941.24 |
Of course, fuel is not the only travel expense we need to account for, as there are five toll gates on the N3 to Durban – De Hoek, Wilge, Tugela, Mooi, and Mariannhill.
These are the official toll fees for each plaza, following the latest updates made on 1 March 2026:
- De Hoek – R67
- Wilge – R94
- Tugela – R100
- Mooi – R70
- Mariannhill – R16.50
Adding them up, motorists will spend a total of R347.50 at toll gates on the way to the coast.
Combined with our fuel bill, we can work out that it will cost at least R959.99 to drive to Durban, or R1,919.98 for a return trip.
This is the best-case scenario, however, as this assumes you have a very fuel-efficient car.
If you happen to own a particularly thirsty vehicle, you’re looking at a travel tab of R2,318.12 one-way, or up to R4,636.24 for the full trip.
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