Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apeldoorn and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,566 in Apeldoorn, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Cape Town, South Africa
Apeldoorn
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,566
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,566 per month in Apeldoorn vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Apeldoorn $2,566
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,612 per month in Apeldoorn vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Apeldoorn $3,612
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,658 per month in Apeldoorn vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Apeldoorn $4,658
  • Cape Town $3,306

Apeldoorn costs about 68% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Apeldoorn and Cape Town sit above the global median – Apeldoorn by 90%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.21 €19.78
$12.01 R 198
84.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €70.8
$42.92 R 707
85.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.88 €7.90
$6.15 R 101
44.39%
Cappuccino
$4.53 €4.03
$2.37 R 39.04
91.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 €3.32
$1.27 R 20.96
193.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 €3.07
$0.94 R 15.46
265.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.83 €5.19
$2.96 R 48.77
96.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49 €4.89
$3.69 R 60.8
48.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.32 R 21.73
6.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.21 R 19.87
89.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.14 €2.80
$2.20 R 36.26
42.73%
Eggs
$5.31 €4.73
$3.10 R 51.1
71.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.99 €12.46
$8.73 R 144
60.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.70 €13.09
$6.89 R 114
113.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.32 €15.42
$9.26 R 153
87.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.83 R 30.08
45.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.54 €2.26
$1.95 R 32.12
30.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 €1.93
$1.66 R 27.32
30.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.42 €3.93
$2.14 R 35.19
106.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.58 R 26.01
22.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.47 R 24.29
58.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.35 R 22.18
-5.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.78
$1.14 R 18.85
-22.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.06 €12.52
$3.58 R 59.0
292.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.83 €6.09
$6.05 R 99.7
12.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.39 R 22.95
-7.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 €2.42
$2.18 R 35.90
24.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.46 €4.86
$1.40 R 23.02
290.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.7 €59.4
$60.8 R 1,001
9.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 €4.36
$0.93 R 15.26
426.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 €3.13
$0.90 R 14.83
291.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$66.0 €58.7
$4.96 R 81.7
1229.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.54 R 25.37
60.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.8K €36.4K
$35.4K R 582.8K
15.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.1K
$33.4K R 549.9K
18.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$313 €278
$117 R 1,929
166.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.80 €23.86
$25.71 R 424
4.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.1 €49.10
$39.41 R 649
39.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.59 €29.91
$51.6 R 850
-34.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.35 R 187
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.52 €13.82
$8.89 R 146
74.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,225 €1,090
$308 R 5,069
298.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,017 €5,358
$8,141 R 134.2K
-26.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.9 €66.7
$57.4 R 946
30.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.59 €34.36
$31.75 R 523
21.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 €78.2
$116 R 1,911
-24.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 €89.3
$101 R 1,660
-0.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$945 €841
$1,047 R 17.2K
-9.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,183 €1,054
$669 R 11.0K
76.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,570 €1,398
$1,861 R 30.7K
-15.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,680 €1,496
$1,407 R 23.2K
19.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,503 €4,009
$2,410 R 39.7K
86.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,659 €3,258
$1,570 R 25.9K
133.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Apeldoorn
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,214 €2,862
$1,630 R 26.9K
97.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
10.89
-63.73%

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

Last update for Apeldoorn: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Apeldoorn
$1.2K
Cape Town
$669 43.4% $514
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Apeldoorn
$394
Cape Town
$182 53.8% $212
Groceries & Markets
Apeldoorn
$349
Cape Town
$223 36.1% $126
Eating Out
Apeldoorn
$328
Cape Town
$174 46.9% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Apeldoorn
$136
Cape Town
$138 1.4% $1.9
Getting Around
Apeldoorn
$111
Cape Town
$72 35.4% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Apeldoorn
$65
Cape Town
$69 7.4% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Apeldoorn versus $1,047 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 97% higher in Apeldoorn. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Apeldoorn versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Apeldoorn
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
09:15 9:15 AM
10:15 10:15 AM
1 h ahead of Apeldoorn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
167,191
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Apeldoorn Cape Town 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Apeldoorn
  • 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
Apeldoorn vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cape Town cheaper than Apeldoorn?
Yes – Apeldoorn is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,849 per month in Apeldoorn and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Apeldoorn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $945 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
Is eating out cheaper in Apeldoorn or in Cape Town?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Apeldoorn and $43 in Cape Town. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Apeldoorn and in Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,566 in Apeldoorn and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 40% cheaper.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Apeldoorn or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,566 in Apeldoorn and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Apeldoorn or in Cape Town?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,566 in Apeldoorn. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Apeldoorn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Apeldoorn vs other spots: cost of living compared

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