Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mubarraz and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mubarraz: $1,270 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Al Mubarraz
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Al Mubarraz Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $1,270
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,895 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $1,895
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,520 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $2,520
Cape Town $3,263

Al Mubarraz is about 20% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Al Mubarraz sits 6% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 SAR 27.37

$12.14 R 200

-39.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.10 SAR 139

$45.34 R 747

-18.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 SAR 29.39

$5.88 R 96.9

33.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cappuccino

$4.27 SAR 16.02

$2.50 R 41.18

70.80%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$1.27 R 20.94

-44.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.98 R 16.14

-71.43%

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)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$1.30 R 21.40

36.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 SAR 4.71

$1.25 R 20.68

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.20

$2.23 R 36.76

9.87%

Eggs

$3.12 SAR 11.69

$3.11 R 51.2

0.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 SAR 39.51

$9.06 R 149

16.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 SAR 36.40

$6.92 R 114

40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 SAR 55.6

$9.30 R 153

59.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 SAR 10.97

$1.84 R 30.25

58.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

$1.96 R 32.29

1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$1.67 R 27.45

46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$2.17 R 35.70

-20.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.41

$1.57 R 25.81

-24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$1.48 R 24.45

-14.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.30 R 21.41

31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$1.13 R 18.60

-48.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SAR 8.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 SAR 28.35

$3.60 R 59.3

110.00%

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)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.50 R 24.65

-27.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.60 SAR 137

$60.8 R 1,001

-39.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.29

$0.59 R 9.71

455.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$1.50 R 24.65

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$5.11 R 84.2

156.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.55 R 25.50

-58.71%

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

$35.3K SAR 132.5K

$36.2K R 596.5K

-2.48%

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

$22.9K SAR 85.9K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-26.74%

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

$109 SAR 410

$114 R 1,883

-4.46%

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

$30.08 SAR 113

$28.91 R 476

4.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 SAR 274

$39.73 R 654

84.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 SAR 310

$49.01 R 808

68.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 SAR 50.7

$9.15 R 151

47.76%

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

$542 SAR 2,032

$259 R 4,264

109.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

$6,794 R 111.9K

48.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 SAR 220

$56.2 R 926

4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 SAR 204

$32.41 R 534

67.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 392

$121 R 1,987

-13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$108 R 1,781

-3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 SAR 2,178

$1,021 R 16.8K

-43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 SAR 1,391

$717 R 11.8K

-48.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,115

$1,824 R 30.1K

-54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 SAR 2,143

$1,327 R 21.9K

-56.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 SAR 8,998

$2,391 R 39.4K

0.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 SAR 5,109

$1,542 R 25.4K

-11.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 SAR 4,086

$1,639 R 27.0K

-33.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.97

-49.50%

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

Last update for Al Mubarraz: October 11, 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 Mubarraz

$371 29.2%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 93.4% $346

Groceries & Markets

Al Mubarraz

$242 19.1%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mubarraz

$212 16.7%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 13.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mubarraz

$145 11.4%

Cape Town

$143 9% 1.5% $2.2

Eating Out

Al Mubarraz

$137 10.8%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 28.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mubarraz

$110 8.6%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 38.6% $42

Getting Around

Al Mubarraz

$54 4.2%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 39.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $580 in Al Mubarraz 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 50% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Al Mubarraz versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Al Mubarraz vs $225 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

1 h behind Al Mubarraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,802

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 Mubarraz Cape Town 7,370 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,270 in Al Mubarraz, $1,586 in Cape Town – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,905 per month in Al Mubarraz 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 Al Mubarraz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $542 per month in Al Mubarraz and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Mubarraz, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Al Mubarraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,270 in Al Mubarraz to $1,586 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al Mubarraz. 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.