Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benguela and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $58.8 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$58.8

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $58.8 in Benguela versus $1,568 in Cape Town.

Benguela $58.8
Cape Town $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $83.2 in Benguela versus $2,438 in Cape Town.

Benguela $83.2
Cape Town $2,438

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $107 in Benguela versus $3,307 in Cape Town.

Benguela $107
Cape Town $3,307

Living in Benguela costs roughly 96% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Benguela is 96% below, Cape Town is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 AOA 2,431

$11.78 R 194

-77.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 AOA 9,838

$5.96 R 98.4

80.87%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

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

$0.90 AOA 821

$1.33 R 21.91

-32.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

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)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

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)

$116 R 1,920

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

$28.37 R 468

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

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)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

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)

$3,801 AOA 3.5M

$1,636 R 27.0K

132.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

127.89%

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

Last update for Benguela: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Benguela

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇦🇴 Benguela

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

07:29 7:29 AM

1 h ahead of Benguela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

513,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.77 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to AOA – Angolan Kwanza Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇴 Angolan Kwanza (Kz)

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,024 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.77 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 AOA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Benguela Cape Town 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Benguela
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

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

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 2565% lower than in Cape Town. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Benguela, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

At $58.8 in Benguela versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Benguela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $58.8 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Benguela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Benguela and Cape Town are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benguela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2565% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.