Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altos and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $250 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$250

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $250 in Altos versus $1,527 in Cape Town.

Altos $250
Cape Town $1,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $374 in Altos versus $2,417 in Cape Town.

Altos $374
Cape Town $2,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $499 in Altos versus $3,306 in Cape Town.

Altos $499
Cape Town $3,306

Living in Altos costs roughly 84% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Altos is 82% below, Cape Town is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

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

$1.27 R 20.96

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 ₲3,259

$1.32 R 21.73

-61.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₲5,700

$1.21 R 19.87

-25.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₲6,432

$2.20 R 36.26

-54.09%

Eggs

$1.94 ₲12.3K

$3.10 R 51.1

-37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.11 ₲38.8K

$8.73 R 144

-30.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₲22.7K

$6.89 R 114

-48.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.53 ₲35.2K

$9.26 R 153

-40.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 ₲15.6K

$1.83 R 30.08

33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₲8,063

$1.95 R 32.12

-34.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₲8,648

$1.66 R 27.32

-18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ₲11.7K

$2.14 R 35.19

-13.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₲7,621

$1.58 R 26.01

-24.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ₲8,632

$1.47 R 24.29

-7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₲7,772

$1.35 R 22.18

-9.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₲5,103

$1.14 R 18.85

-29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.96 ₲6,096

$3.58 R 59.0

-73.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 ₲52.4K

$6.05 R 99.7

36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₲4,662

$1.39 R 22.95

-47.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₲5,224

$2.18 R 35.90

-62.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₲2,478

$1.40 R 23.02

-72.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.22 ₲77.7K

$60.8 R 1,001

-79.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 ₲10.6K

$0.93 R 15.26

78.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₲4,281

$0.90 R 14.83

-25.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₲7,155

$1.54 R 25.37

-26.62%

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

$19.0K ₲120.8M

$35.4K R 582.8K

-46.26%

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

$23.4K ₲148.8M

$33.4K R 549.9K

-29.89%

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

$34.88 ₲221.8K

$117 R 1,929

-70.21%

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

$7.87 ₲50.1K

$25.71 R 424

-69.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ₲90.4K

$39.41 R 649

-63.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$3.40 ₲21.6K

$8.89 R 146

-61.75%

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

$308 R 5,069

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.97 ₲158.8K

$57.4 R 946

-56.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,524 ₲9.7M

$2,410 R 39.7K

-36.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 ₲6.4M

$1,570 R 25.9K

-35.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 ₲3.2M

$1,630 R 26.9K

-69.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

-8.17%

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

Last update for Altos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altos

–

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Groceries & Markets

Altos

–

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altos

–

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Eating Out

Altos

–

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Altos

–

Cape Town

$138 9%

Getting Around

Altos

–

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Altos

–

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

Cape Town pays about 3.3 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Altos

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

07:26 7:26 AM

5 h ahead of Altos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,763

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.57 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6,358 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 7,138 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.4 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Altos Cape Town 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Altos
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

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

Altos is about 84% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Altos. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Cape Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 80% less than in Cape Town. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $250 in Altos versus $1,527 in Cape Town, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Altos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Altos wins on affordability, Cape Town on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.