Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aranjuez and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,589 in Aranjuez, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Aranjuez, Spain
Cape Town, South Africa
Aranjuez
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,589
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Aranjuez vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Aranjuez $1,589
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,468 per month in Aranjuez vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Aranjuez $2,468
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $3,346 per month in Aranjuez vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Aranjuez $3,346
  • Cape Town $3,306

Aranjuez costs about 4% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aranjuez and Cape Town sit above the global median – Aranjuez by 18%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.50 €12.02
$12.01 R 198
12.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.1 €58.8
$42.92 R 707
53.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.40 €11.93
$6.15 R 101
117.89%
Cappuccino
$2.72 €2.42
$2.37 R 39.04
14.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.25
$1.27 R 20.96
99.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.94 R 15.46
109.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.96 R 48.77
11.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.87
$3.69 R 60.8
17.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.32 R 21.73
-10.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.21 R 19.87
11.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.20 R 36.26
-17.27%
Eggs
$3.39 €3.01
$3.10 R 51.1
9.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.77 €9.59
$8.73 R 144
23.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.11 €7.22
$6.89 R 114
17.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.88 €14.14
$9.26 R 153
71.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.50 €2.23
$1.83 R 30.08
36.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.95 R 32.12
-2.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.66 R 27.32
14.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.14 R 35.19
20.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.58 R 26.01
7.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.47 R 24.29
19.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.35 R 22.18
-15.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 €0.72
$1.14 R 18.85
-29.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.88 €6.13
$3.58 R 59.0
92.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.46 €4.86
$6.05 R 99.7
-9.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.39 R 22.95
-6.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 €1.45
$2.18 R 35.90
-25.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.40 R 23.02
22.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.83 €29.23
$60.8 R 1,001
-45.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.23 €1.98
$0.93 R 15.26
139.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.90 R 14.83
64.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.37 €24.37
$4.96 R 81.7
451.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.54 R 25.37
17.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K €29.5K
$35.4K R 582.8K
-6.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K €28.1K
$33.4K R 549.9K
-5.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 €121
$117 R 1,929
16.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.55 €14.73
$25.71 R 424
-35.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.90 €30.18
$39.41 R 649
-13.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.84 €39.92
$51.6 R 850
-13.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.60 €13.00
$11.35 R 187
28.63%
Cinema Ticket
$10.97 €9.77
$8.89 R 146
23.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$587 €523
$308 R 5,069
90.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$8,141 R 134.2K
42.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.7 €83.4
$57.4 R 946
63.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.41 €36.87
$31.75 R 523
30.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.6 €84.3
$116 R 1,911
-18.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €103
$101 R 1,660
14.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$912 €812
$1,047 R 17.2K
-12.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €581
$669 R 11.0K
-2.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 €1,172
$1,861 R 30.7K
-29.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,165 €1,038
$1,407 R 23.2K
-17.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 €2,982
$2,410 R 39.7K
38.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,575 €2,292
$1,570 R 25.9K
64.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aranjuez
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
10.89
-68.69%

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

Last update for Aranjuez: 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
Aranjuez
$652
Cape Town
$669 2.6% $17
Groceries & Markets
Aranjuez
$254
Cape Town
$223 12.3% $31
Eating Out
Aranjuez
$224
Cape Town
$174 22.3% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aranjuez
$187
Cape Town
$182 2.4% $4.5
Clothing & Footwear
Aranjuez
$155
Cape Town
$138 11.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Aranjuez
$67
Cape Town
$69 3.9% $2.6
Getting Around
Aranjuez
$49
Cape Town
$72 45.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in Aranjuez 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Aranjuez versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Aranjuez
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
05:19 5:19 AM
1 h ahead of Aranjuez
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60,668
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 = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aranjuez Cape Town 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Aranjuez
  • 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
Aranjuez vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cape Town cheaper than Aranjuez?
Yes – Aranjuez is pricier by about 4%, 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 $2,384 per month in Aranjuez 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 Aranjuez, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $912 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 46% less in Aranjuez. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $587 per month in Aranjuez and $308 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Aranjuez or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,589 in Aranjuez 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 Aranjuez 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 $1,589 in Aranjuez. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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