Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bata and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Bata: $1,431 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Bata

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$1,431

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,431 per month in Bata vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bata $1,431
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Bata vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bata $2,144
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,857 per month in Bata vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bata $2,857
Cape Town $3,307

Bata is about 9% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bata and Cape Town sit above the global median – Bata by 7%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 FCFA 11.1K

$11.78 R 194

60.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.97 FCFA 25.1K

$46.55 R 768

-7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

Cappuccino

$2.55 FCFA 1,493

$2.47 R 40.80

3.24%

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

$1.36 FCFA 793

$1.33 R 21.91

2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 FCFA 502

$1.03 R 16.99

-16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 FCFA 2,072

$3.01 R 49.72

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 FCFA 2,513

$3.66 R 60.4

17.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 FCFA 1,021

$1.39 R 22.96

25.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 FCFA 1,862

$1.19 R 19.60

167.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 FCFA 896

$2.11 R 34.84

-27.49%

Eggs

$2.14 FCFA 1,251

$3.01 R 49.58

-28.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 FCFA 6,056

$8.96 R 148

15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 FCFA 4,939

$6.65 R 110

26.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 FCFA 6,077

$9.29 R 153

11.84%

Apples (1kg)

$10.45 FCFA 6,115

$1.83 R 30.13

471.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 FCFA 1,002

$1.90 R 31.31

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.56 FCFA 5,006

$1.75 R 28.83

389.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 FCFA 2,057

$2.09 R 34.41

68.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 FCFA 1,493

$1.55 R 25.64

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 FCFA 1,477

$1.49 R 24.53

69.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 FCFA 523

$1.30 R 21.41

-31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 FCFA 776

$1.16 R 19.19

14.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 FCFA 3,031

$3.71 R 61.2

39.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 FCFA 3,528

$6.06 R 100

-0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 FCFA 2,072

$1.39 R 22.85

154.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 FCFA 501

$0.63 R 10.33

36.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 FCFA 492

$1.53 R 25.29

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 FCFA 644

$1.58 R 26.08

-30.38%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$354 FCFA 206.8K

$116 R 1,920

203.77%

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

$28.37 R 468

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 FCFA 30.3K

$40.69 R 671

27.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 FCFA 40.3K

$48.85 R 806

41.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 FCFA 45.9K

$55.4 R 914

41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 FCFA 39.9K

$32.27 R 532

111.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 FCFA 85.0K

$118 R 1,939

23.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 FCFA 82.2K

$107 R 1,766

31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 FCFA 229.4K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 FCFA 127.1K

$715 R 11.8K

-69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 FCFA 324.3K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-69.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 FCFA 201.3K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-74.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$770 FCFA 450.5K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-52.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Bata: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bata

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Bata

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bata

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Bata

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Bata

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Bata

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Bata

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Bata versus $1,015 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 112% 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 Bata versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Bata vs $222 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇶 Bata

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h ahead of Bata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,282

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bata Cape Town 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bata
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

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

Cape Town costs about 10% more than Bata, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,146 per month in Bata and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,431 in Bata and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 10%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 55% 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 Bata, where all-in costs run around $1,431, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Bata 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. Bata costs $1,431 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bata. 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.