Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
Learn more

Al-hawiyah Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,081

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,586 in Cape Town.

Al-hawiyah $1,081
Cape Town $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,425 in Cape Town.

Al-hawiyah $1,603
Cape Town $2,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,263 in Cape Town.

Al-hawiyah $2,125
Cape Town $3,263

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 32% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 20% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 SAR 16.67

$12.14 R 200

-63.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 SAR 99.5

$45.34 R 747

-41.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 SAR 25.93

$5.88 R 96.9

17.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$2.50 R 41.18

5.20%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$1.27 R 20.94

-44.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.98 R 16.14

-74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.30 R 21.40

40.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.25 R 20.68

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$2.23 R 36.76

-1.35%

Eggs

$2.68 SAR 10.04

$3.11 R 51.2

-13.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.85 SAR 21.94

$9.06 R 149

-35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 SAR 43.90

$6.92 R 114

69.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 SAR 49.22

$9.30 R 153

41.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.64

$1.84 R 30.25

10.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.96 R 32.29

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

$1.67 R 27.45

9.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.60

$2.17 R 35.70

-31.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.57 R 25.81

-17.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

$1.48 R 24.45

1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.30 R 21.41

-16.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$1.13 R 18.60

-34.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$3.60 R 59.3

122.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.50 R 24.65

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.82 SAR 138

$60.8 R 1,001

-39.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$0.59 R 9.71

313.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$1.50 R 24.65

79.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.67

$5.11 R 84.2

159.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.55 R 25.50

-61.94%

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

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

$36.2K R 596.5K

21.19%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-31.07%

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

$67.1 SAR 252

$114 R 1,883

-41.31%

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

$35.32 SAR 133

$28.91 R 476

22.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 SAR 235

$39.73 R 654

57.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$49.01 R 808

64.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 SAR 56.6

$9.15 R 151

64.92%

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

$423 SAR 1,586

$259 R 4,264

63.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 SAR 29.5K

$6,794 R 111.9K

15.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$56.2 R 926

-76.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 SAR 209

$32.41 R 534

72.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.45 SAR 152

$121 R 1,987

-66.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 SAR 197

$108 R 1,781

-51.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$1,021 R 16.8K

-43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,375

$717 R 11.8K

-48.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SAR 3,098

$1,824 R 30.1K

-54.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 SAR 2,166

$1,327 R 21.9K

-56.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,023

$2,391 R 39.4K

0.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 SAR 5,158

$1,542 R 25.4K

-10.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.97

-52.14%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: 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

Al-hawiyah

$366 33.9%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 95.6% $350

Groceries & Markets

Al-hawiyah

$217 20.1%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 3.5% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-hawiyah

$165 15.3%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 10.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Al-hawiyah

$111 10.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 39.2% $43

Eating Out

Al-hawiyah

$92 8.5%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 92.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Al-hawiyah

$73 6.7%

Cape Town

$143 9% 96.1% $70

Getting Around

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.3%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 31% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Al-hawiyah and $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $45.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $225 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

02:53 2:53 AM

1 h behind Al-hawiyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,151

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-hawiyah Cape Town 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-hawiyah
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

Al-hawiyah vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Cape Town differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,081 vs $1,586 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,621 in Al-hawiyah and $2,379 in Cape Town to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $576 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $45.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,586 in Cape Town – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,586 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.