Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rass: $1,154 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rass
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Ar-rass Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Ar-rass

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,154

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Ar-rass versus $1,586 in Cape Town.

Ar-rass $1,154
Cape Town $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,690 in Ar-rass versus $2,425 in Cape Town.

Ar-rass $1,690
Cape Town $2,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,226 in Ar-rass versus $3,263 in Cape Town.

Ar-rass $2,226
Cape Town $3,263

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 27% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 15% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 SAR 23.12

$12.14 R 200

-49.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.47 SAR 141

$45.34 R 747

-17.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 SAR 29.65

$5.88 R 96.9

34.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

Cappuccino

$3.25 SAR 12.18

$2.50 R 41.18

30.00%

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

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$1.27 R 20.94

-28.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.98 R 16.14

-73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

$1.30 R 21.40

39.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SAR 1.45

$1.25 R 20.68

-68.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 SAR 7.19

$2.23 R 36.76

-13.90%

Eggs

$3.60 SAR 13.52

$3.11 R 51.2

15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 SAR 26.28

$9.06 R 149

-22.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 SAR 30.20

$6.92 R 114

16.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 SAR 47.99

$9.30 R 153

37.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$1.84 R 30.25

21.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.96 R 32.29

-10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

$1.67 R 27.45

-5.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$2.17 R 35.70

-27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.37

$1.57 R 25.81

-26.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.48 R 24.45

-8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.30 R 21.41

-1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.14

$1.13 R 18.60

-49.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.26 SAR 12.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SAR 8.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.53 SAR 28.27

$3.60 R 59.3

109.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 SAR 3.69

$1.50 R 24.65

-34.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.39 SAR 129

$60.8 R 1,001

-43.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

$0.59 R 9.71

338.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

$1.50 R 24.65

24.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.84 SAR 44.42

$5.11 R 84.2

131.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.55 R 25.50

-58.06%

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

$43.1K SAR 161.7K

$36.2K R 596.5K

19.05%

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

$20.9K SAR 78.3K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-33.26%

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

$110 SAR 414

$114 R 1,883

-3.54%

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

$23.87 SAR 89.6

$28.91 R 476

-17.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 SAR 221

$39.73 R 654

48.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 SAR 168

$49.01 R 808

-8.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$9.15 R 151

46.78%

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

$425 SAR 1,595

$259 R 4,264

64.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,688 SAR 32.6K

$6,794 R 111.9K

27.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.84 SAR 161

$56.2 R 926

-23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.4 SAR 234

$32.41 R 534

92.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 360

$121 R 1,987

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$108 R 1,781

-18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 SAR 2,174

$1,021 R 16.8K

-43.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,480

$717 R 11.8K

-44.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,456

$1,824 R 30.1K

-78.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 SAR 2,111

$1,327 R 21.9K

-57.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,625 SAR 9,851

$2,391 R 39.4K

9.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 SAR 4,460

$1,542 R 25.4K

-22.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,765 SAR 6,622

$1,639 R 27.0K

7.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.97

-49.50%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: 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

Ar-rass

$394 34.2%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 81.8% $323

Groceries & Markets

Ar-rass

$198 17.1%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 13.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ar-rass

$193 16.7%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 5.2% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ar-rass

$130 11.3%

Cape Town

$143 9% 9.8% $13

Eating Out

Ar-rass

$117 10.1%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 51% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Ar-rass

$72 6.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 6.2% $4.4

Getting Around

Ar-rass

$50 4.4%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 48.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $579 in Ar-rass and $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Ar-rass vs $45.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $225 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ar-rass

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

1 h behind Ar-rass

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,359

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 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 SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ar-rass Cape Town 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ar-rass
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

Ar-rass vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Cape Town differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,154 vs $1,586 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Ar-rass, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $579 in Ar-rass versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Ar-rass versus $259 in Cape Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Cape Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,154 in Ar-rass versus $1,586 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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.

Expats usually find Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.