Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,397 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,397

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ankara vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ankara $1,397
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Ankara vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ankara $2,075
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Ankara vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ankara $2,753
Cape Town $3,263

Ankara is about 12% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ankara and Cape Town sit above the global median – Ankara by 4%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺500

$12.14 R 200

-16.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 ₺2,130

$45.34 R 747

-5.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 ₺489

$5.88 R 96.9

67.86%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₺206

$2.50 R 41.18

66.80%

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

$1.74 ₺86.2

$1.27 R 20.94

37.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₺38.35

$0.98 R 16.14

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 ₺254

$2.99 R 49.33

71.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 ₺308

$3.72 R 61.4

66.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺57.2

$1.30 R 21.40

-10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺46.15

$1.25 R 20.68

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₺114

$2.23 R 36.76

3.14%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺132

$3.11 R 51.2

-14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₺499

$9.06 R 149

11.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 ₺274

$6.92 R 114

-20.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.03 ₺992

$9.30 R 153

115.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ₺97.7

$1.84 R 30.25

7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ₺107

$1.96 R 32.29

10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.6

$1.67 R 27.45

-20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₺83.0

$2.17 R 35.70

-22.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.18

$1.57 R 25.81

-59.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.73

$1.48 R 24.45

-63.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₺49.86

$1.30 R 21.41

-22.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.25

$1.13 R 18.60

-38.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₺107

$3.60 R 59.3

-40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.54 ₺621

$6.15 R 101

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₺112

$1.38 R 22.66

63.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₺160

$2.14 R 35.20

50.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ₺34.62

$1.50 R 24.65

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.35 ₺611

$60.8 R 1,001

-79.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.59 R 9.71

118.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₺39.43

$1.50 R 24.65

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ₺336

$5.11 R 84.2

32.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₺71.4

$1.55 R 25.50

-7.10%

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

$48.0K ₺2.4M

$36.2K R 596.5K

32.65%

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

$41.7K ₺2.1M

$31.2K R 514.8K

33.40%

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

$92.9 ₺4,600

$114 R 1,883

-18.73%

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

$10.81 ₺535

$28.91 R 476

-62.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.73 ₺878

$39.73 R 654

-55.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 ₺3,589

$49.01 R 808

47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 ₺756

$10.99 R 181

38.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 ₺400

$9.15 R 151

-11.58%

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

$1,038 ₺51.4K

$259 R 4,264

301.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₺966.2K

$6,794 R 111.9K

187.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,656

$56.2 R 926

-4.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 ₺2,383

$32.41 R 534

48.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,149

$121 R 1,987

-13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ₺4,815

$108 R 1,781

-10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₺37.0K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-26.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.2K

$717 R 11.8K

-20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 ₺56.5K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-37.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₺43.2K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-34.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 ₺82.9K

$2,391 R 39.4K

-29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,174 ₺58.1K

$1,542 R 25.4K

-23.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,068 ₺52.9K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-34.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

10.97

297.17%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.7%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 26.1% $148

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$253 18.1%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 11.2% $28

Eating Out

Ankara

$209 14.9%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 15.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Cape Town

$143 9% 4.7% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$121 8.7%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 50.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 24.1% $21

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 266% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $747 in Ankara 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 53% 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 $43.00 in Ankara versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Ankara vs $225 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

1 h behind Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 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 TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ankara Cape Town 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
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

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

Cape Town costs about 13% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,096 per month in Ankara 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 Ankara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,038 per month in Ankara 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 13% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,397, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,397 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ankara. 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.