Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amadora and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $1,693 in Amadora, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Amadora outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Amadora
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,693
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,693 in Amadora versus $1,586 in Cape Town.

  • Amadora $1,693
  • Cape Town $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Amadora versus $2,425 in Cape Town.

  • Amadora $2,478
  • Cape Town $2,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,262 in Amadora versus $3,263 in Cape Town.

  • Amadora $3,262
  • Cape Town $3,263

Living in Amadora is roughly 7% more expensive than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amadora 25% above, Cape Town 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.65 €11.25
$12.14 R 200
4.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.36 €40.35
$45.34 R 747
0.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.95 €7.96
$5.88 R 96.9
52.21%
Cappuccino
$2.00 €1.78
$2.50 R 41.18
-20.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 €1.64
$1.27 R 20.94
44.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.19
$0.98 R 16.14
36.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.99 R 49.33
-6.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.49
$3.72 R 61.4
-24.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.30 R 21.40
-15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 €2.06
$1.25 R 20.68
84.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.32 €1.18
$2.23 R 36.76
-40.81%
Eggs
$2.89 €2.57
$3.11 R 51.2
-7.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.36 €10.10
$9.06 R 149
25.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.85 €6.09
$6.92 R 114
-1.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.18 €9.94
$9.30 R 153
20.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.84 R 30.25
2.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.96 R 32.29
-25.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.67 R 27.45
-10.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.30
$2.17 R 35.70
18.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.57 R 25.81
2.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.48 R 24.45
45.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.30 R 21.41
20.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.13 R 18.60
-5.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.40 €5.69
$3.60 R 59.3
77.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$6.15 R 101
-8.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.38 R 22.66
-7.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.01
$2.14 R 35.20
-47.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.50 R 24.65
82.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.64 €39.71
$60.8 R 1,001
-26.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.87 €3.44
$0.59 R 9.71
555.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.51 €0.45
$1.50 R 24.65
-66.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.70 €14.86
$5.11 R 84.2
226.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.55 R 25.50
36.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$36.2K R 596.5K
-7.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.7K €33.5K
$31.2K R 514.8K
20.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 €121
$114 R 1,883
18.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.43 €18.17
$28.91 R 476
-29.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.87 €39.91
$39.73 R 654
12.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.97 €34.66
$49.01 R 808
-20.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.18 €25.07
$10.99 R 181
156.41%
Cinema Ticket
$8.04 €7.15
$9.15 R 151
-12.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$337 €300
$259 R 4,264
30.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K €11.1K
$6,794 R 111.9K
83.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.8 €66.6
$56.2 R 926
33.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.81 €29.18
$32.41 R 534
1.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.4
$121 R 1,987
-13.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.8 €68.4
$108 R 1,781
-28.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$967 €860
$1,021 R 16.8K
-5.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$822 €732
$717 R 11.8K
14.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,625 €1,445
$1,824 R 30.1K
-10.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 €1,181
$1,327 R 21.9K
0.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,672 €3,266
$2,391 R 39.4K
53.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,291 €2,927
$1,542 R 25.4K
113.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Amadora
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,163 €1,034
$1,639 R 27.0K
-29.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.88
10.97
-64.63%

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

Last update for Amadora: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Amadora
$822
Cape Town
$717 12.8% $106
Groceries & Markets
Amadora
$238
Cape Town
$225 5.6% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Amadora
$201
Cape Town
$183 8.9% $18
Eating Out
Amadora
$184
Cape Town
$176 4.5% $8.2
Clothing & Footwear
Amadora
$130
Cape Town
$143 10% $13
Getting Around
Amadora
$62
Cape Town
$75 20.6% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Amadora
$55
Cape Town
$67 22.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $967 in Amadora and $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Amadora vs $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $225, with Cape Town cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Amadora
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
05:42 5:42 AM
06:42 6:42 AM
1 h ahead of Amadora
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
171,500
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Amadora Cape Town 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Amadora
  • 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
Amadora vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cape Town cheaper than Amadora?
Cape Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Amadora or Cape Town?
On paper, salaries run 41% 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.
What is the rent difference between Amadora and Cape Town?
Rent for a central apartment: $967 in Amadora versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Amadora and in Cape Town?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Amadora. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Amadora or in Cape Town?
Dining out is cheaper in Cape Town – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $45.00 in Amadora. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Amadora or in Cape Town?
At $1,586 in Cape Town versus $1,693 in Amadora, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cape Town but tight or insufficient in Amadora. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Amadora or Cape Town more family-friendly?
For families, Cape Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Amadora, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Amadora or Cape Town?
Safety-wise, Amadora 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cape Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Amadora. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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