Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,441 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,441

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,441 per month in Bialystok vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bialystok $1,441
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,038 per month in Bialystok vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bialystok $2,038
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $2,635 per month in Bialystok vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bialystok $2,635
Cape Town $3,306

Bialystok is about 6% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bialystok and Cape Town sit above the global median – Bialystok by 7%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 zł 38.10

$12.01 R 198

-19.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.08 zł 177

$42.92 R 707

5.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 zł 34.94

$6.15 R 101

44.88%

Cappuccino

$3.63 zł 14.24

$2.37 R 39.04

53.16%

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

$1.88 zł 7.38

$1.27 R 20.96

48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 zł 5.84

$0.94 R 15.46

58.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 zł 13.22

$2.96 R 48.77

13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 zł 11.96

$3.69 R 60.8

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.16

$1.32 R 21.73

-19.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 zł 3.87

$1.21 R 19.87

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 zł 8.49

$2.20 R 36.26

-1.36%

Eggs

$3.66 zł 14.34

$3.10 R 51.1

18.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 zł 35.16

$8.73 R 144

2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 zł 21.46

$6.89 R 114

-20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 zł 43.66

$9.26 R 153

20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.85

$1.83 R 30.08

-32.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 zł 7.14

$1.95 R 32.12

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 zł 6.19

$1.66 R 27.32

-4.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 zł 7.52

$2.14 R 35.19

-10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 zł 4.00

$1.58 R 26.01

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 zł 4.72

$1.47 R 24.29

-17.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 zł 4.37

$1.35 R 22.18

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 zł 2.27

$1.14 R 18.85

-49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 zł 20.07

$3.58 R 59.0

43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 zł 24.47

$6.05 R 99.7

3.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 zł 4.70

$1.39 R 22.95

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 zł 5.95

$2.18 R 35.90

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 zł 4.88

$1.40 R 23.02

-10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.57 zł 128

$60.8 R 1,001

-46.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 zł 8.13

$0.93 R 15.26

122.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 zł 2.64

$0.90 R 14.83

-25.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.86 zł 50.4

$4.96 R 81.7

159.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 zł 6.16

$1.54 R 25.37

1.95%

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

$30.2K zł 118.6K

$35.4K R 582.8K

-14.48%

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

$28.3K zł 111.0K

$33.4K R 549.9K

-15.17%

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

$306 zł 1,200

$117 R 1,929

161.53%

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

$8.28 zł 32.47

$25.71 R 424

-67.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.42 zł 68.3

$39.41 R 649

-55.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 zł 180

$51.6 R 850

-11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.60 zł 104

$11.35 R 187

134.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.31 zł 32.58

$8.89 R 146

-6.52%

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

$346 zł 1,357

$308 R 5,069

12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 zł 16.5K

$8,141 R 134.2K

-48.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 zł 379

$57.4 R 946

68.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.75 zł 140

$31.75 R 523

12.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 zł 337

$116 R 1,911

-25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 zł 343

$101 R 1,660

-13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 zł 2,185

$1,047 R 17.2K

-46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 zł 1,876

$669 R 11.0K

-28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 zł 3,111

$1,861 R 30.7K

-57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 zł 2,668

$1,407 R 23.2K

-51.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 zł 10.8K

$2,410 R 39.7K

14.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,247 zł 8,810

$1,570 R 25.9K

43.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,427 zł 5,596

$1,630 R 26.9K

-12.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

10.89

-35.08%

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

Last update for Bialystok: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bialystok

$479 33.2%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 39.8% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bialystok

$332 23%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 45.1% $150

Groceries & Markets

Bialystok

$203 14.1%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 10% $20

Eating Out

Bialystok

$185 12.8%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 5.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bialystok

$138 9.6%

Cape Town

$138 9% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bialystok

$63 4.3%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 11% $6.9

Getting Around

Bialystok

$43 3%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 66.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Bialystok 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 14% higher in Cape Town. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bialystok versus $43 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Bialystok vs $223 in Cape Town – so Bialystok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

1 h ahead of Bialystok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,554

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.255 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.92 PLN (1 PLN = 0.255 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

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).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bialystok Cape Town 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bialystok
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

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

Cape Town costs about 6% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,162 per month in Bialystok and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bialystok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $557 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Kindergarten costs $346 per month in Bialystok and $308 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,441 in Bialystok and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,441 in Bialystok to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Bialystok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.