Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Algiers and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $594 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
Learn more

Algiers Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$594

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $594 in Algiers versus $1,568 in Cape Town.

Algiers $594
Cape Town $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $974 in Algiers versus $2,438 in Cape Town.

Algiers $974
Cape Town $2,438

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,354 in Algiers versus $3,307 in Cape Town.

Algiers $1,354
Cape Town $3,307

Living in Algiers costs roughly 62% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Algiers is 56% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 DZD 461

$11.78 R 195

-70.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.50 DZD 3,811

$46.55 R 772

-38.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 DZD 572

$5.96 R 98.9

-28.19%

Cappuccino

$1.11 DZD 149

$2.47 R 41.01

-55.06%

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

$0.60 DZD 80.7

$1.33 R 22.03

-54.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 35.79

$1.03 R 17.08

-73.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 DZD 298

$3.01 R 49.98

-25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 DZD 295

$3.66 R 60.8

-39.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 DZD 121

$1.39 R 23.08

-35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.14 DZD 18.69

$1.19 R 19.70

-88.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 DZD 147

$2.11 R 35.02

-47.87%

Eggs

$1.26 DZD 168

$3.01 R 49.84

-58.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 DZD 1,069

$8.96 R 149

-10.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 DZD 538

$6.65 R 110

-39.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 DZD 1,949

$9.29 R 154

56.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 DZD 272

$1.83 R 30.28

10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 DZD 361

$1.90 R 31.47

42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 DZD 144

$1.75 R 28.98

-38.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 DZD 124

$2.09 R 34.59

-55.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 DZD 77.4

$1.55 R 25.78

-62.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 DZD 60.4

$1.49 R 24.65

-69.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 DZD 103

$1.30 R 21.53

-40.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 36.38

$1.16 R 19.29

-76.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 DZD 426

$3.71 R 61.5

-14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 DZD 874

$6.06 R 101

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 DZD 171

$1.39 R 22.97

-7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 DZD 252

$2.20 R 36.51

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 DZD 48.47

$1.51 R 25.11

-76.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.75 DZD 902

$61.0 R 1,011

-88.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 DZD 73.5

$0.63 R 10.38

-12.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 DZD 63.0

$1.53 R 25.42

-69.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 DZD 763

$4.81 R 79.8

18.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 DZD 47.67

$1.58 R 26.22

-77.22%

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

$35.0K DZD 4.7M

$35.5K R 588.7K

-1.41%

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

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

$31.7K R 526.6K

6.78%

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

$43.39 DZD 5,803

$116 R 1,930

-62.72%

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

$9.87 DZD 1,320

$28.37 R 471

-65.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 DZD 1,648

$40.69 R 675

-69.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.45 DZD 3,270

$48.85 R 810

-49.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.00 DZD 3,612

$11.13 R 185

142.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 DZD 607

$8.83 R 146

-48.58%

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

$547 DZD 73.1K

$261 R 4,336

109.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,264 DZD 837.8K

$6,702 R 111.2K

-6.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.71 DZD 4,241

$55.4 R 919

-42.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 DZD 4,725

$32.27 R 535

9.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 DZD 9,355

$118 R 1,949

-40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 DZD 10.6K

$107 R 1,775

-26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$163 DZD 21.8K

$1,015 R 16.8K

-83.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 DZD 17.4K

$715 R 11.9K

-81.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 DZD 58.8K

$1,801 R 29.9K

-75.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 DZD 32.6K

$1,330 R 22.1K

-81.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,547 DZD 340.6K

$2,331 R 38.7K

9.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 DZD 183.6K

$1,513 R 25.1K

-9.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 DZD 44.1K

$1,636 R 27.1K

-79.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

10.97

-51.69%

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

Last update for Algiers: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Algiers

$175 29.9%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 27% $47

Accommodation & Living

Algiers

$130 22.3%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 449% $585

Clothing & Footwear

Algiers

$97 16.6%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 44.4% $43

Eating Out

Algiers

$73 12.4%

Cape Town

$174 11% 139% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Algiers

$66 11.2%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 183% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Algiers

$34 5.7%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 98.4% $33

Getting Around

Algiers

$11 1.9%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 578% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $163 in Algiers and $1,015 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 396% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Algiers vs $47.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $222 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Algiers

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

1 h ahead of Algiers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,415,811 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar (د.ج)

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Algiers Cape Town 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Algiers
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

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

Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 396% lower in Cape Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $163 in Algiers versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $594 per month in Algiers versus $1,568 in Cape Town – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Algiers versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Algiers and Cape Town are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.