Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aba and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $408 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$408

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aba and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $408 per month in Aba vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Aba $408
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $664 per month in Aba vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Aba $664
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $921 per month in Aba vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Aba $921
Cape Town $3,263

Aba is about 74% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Aba sits 70% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 ₦9,880

$5.88 R 96.9

26.36%

Cappuccino

$0.87 ₦1,159

$2.50 R 41.18

-65.20%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ₦2,746

$2.99 R 49.33

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₦3,120

$3.72 R 61.4

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.69 ₦4,907

$1.30 R 21.40

183.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 ₦2,951

$1.25 R 20.68

77.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ₦15.2K

$9.06 R 149

26.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.28 ₦1,703

$9.30 R 153

-86.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ₦7,121

$1.84 R 30.25

190.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₦740

$1.96 R 32.29

-71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₦4,811

$1.57 R 25.81

130.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₦1,539

$1.30 R 21.41

-10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₦184

$1.13 R 18.60

-87.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 ₦1,959

$3.60 R 59.3

-59.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₦9,870

$6.15 R 101

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₦1,683

$1.38 R 22.66

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₦1,940

$2.14 R 35.20

-31.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.24 ₦12.3K

$60.8 R 1,001

-84.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

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

$6,010 ₦8.0M

$36.2K R 596.5K

-83.40%

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

$7,584 ₦10.1M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-75.73%

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

$116 ₦153.7K

$114 R 1,883

1.09%

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

$2.22 ₦2,957

$28.91 R 476

-92.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.39 ₦60.4K

$39.73 R 654

14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$2.06 ₦2,734

$9.15 R 151

-77.49%

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,067 ₦1.4M

$6,794 R 111.9K

-84.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 ₦20.2K

$121 R 1,987

-87.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.89 ₦25.1K

$108 R 1,781

-82.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₦177.5K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-86.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₦599.4K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-75.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ₦303.9K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-82.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 ₦1.5M

$2,391 R 39.4K

-53.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$469 ₦624.0K

$1,542 R 25.4K

-69.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$96.4 ₦128.2K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-94.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

9.39%

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

Last update for Aba: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aba

–

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Groceries & Markets

Aba

–

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aba

–

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Eating Out

Aba

–

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Aba

–

Cape Town

$143 9%

Getting Around

Aba

–

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Aba

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Aba versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1600% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Aba

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

19:17 7:17 PM

1 h ahead of Aba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,900

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aba Cape Town 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Aba
Cape Town

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

Aba vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 289%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $612 per month in Aba and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 557% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aba – 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 Aba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.