Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bordeaux and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,128 in Bordeaux, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Bordeaux
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Bordeaux Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Bordeaux

🇫🇷 France

$2,128

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,128 per month in Bordeaux vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bordeaux $2,128
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,249 per month in Bordeaux vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bordeaux $3,249
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,370 per month in Bordeaux vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Bordeaux $4,370
Cape Town $3,306

Bordeaux costs about 39% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bordeaux and Cape Town sit above the global median – Bordeaux by 57%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 €17.88

$12.01 R 198

67.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 €70.3

$42.92 R 707

83.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 €12.38

$6.15 R 101

126.02%

Cappuccino

$3.92 €3.49

$2.37 R 39.04

65.40%

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

$2.93 €2.61

$1.27 R 20.96

130.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.94 R 15.46

52.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 €6.80

$2.96 R 48.77

157.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 €6.10

$3.69 R 60.8

85.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.32 R 21.73

-6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.21 R 19.87

66.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.20 R 36.26

36.82%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.21

$3.10 R 51.1

16.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.61 €12.12

$8.73 R 144

55.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.03 €14.27

$6.89 R 114

132.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.67 €21.96

$9.26 R 153

166.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.83 R 30.08

80.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.95 R 32.12

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 €3.14

$1.66 R 27.32

112.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.83

$2.14 R 35.19

100.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.58 R 26.01

42.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.47 R 24.29

103.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.35 R 22.18

2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.47

$1.14 R 18.85

-53.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 €11.50

$3.58 R 59.0

260.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.11

$6.05 R 99.7

69.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$1.39 R 22.95

181.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 €3.79

$2.18 R 35.90

95.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.40 R 23.02

51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.85 €43.49

$60.8 R 1,001

-19.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 €2.76

$0.93 R 15.26

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.11

$0.90 R 14.83

37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.50 €41.41

$4.96 R 81.7

837.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.54 R 25.37

49.35%

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

$34.9K €31.1K

$35.4K R 582.8K

-1.39%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$33.4K R 549.9K

14.04%

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

$253 €225

$117 R 1,929

115.96%

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

$15.71 €13.99

$25.71 R 424

-38.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €27.88

$39.41 R 649

-20.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.15 €29.52

$51.6 R 850

-35.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 €24.73

$11.35 R 187

144.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 €11.41

$8.89 R 146

44.21%

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

$796 €709

$308 R 5,069

158.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$8,141 R 134.2K

57.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €104

$57.4 R 946

104.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.67 €39.77

$31.75 R 523

40.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$116 R 1,911

-6.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €129

$101 R 1,660

43.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 €860

$1,047 R 17.2K

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 €717

$669 R 11.0K

20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 €1,553

$1,861 R 30.7K

-6.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 €1,249

$1,407 R 23.2K

-0.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,718 €5,982

$2,410 R 39.7K

178.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,468 €3,978

$1,570 R 25.9K

184.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 €2,734

$1,630 R 26.9K

88.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

10.89

-64.00%

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

Last update for Bordeaux: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bordeaux

$805 37.8%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 16.9% $136

Groceries & Markets

Bordeaux

$393 18.5%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 43.2% $170

Eating Out

Bordeaux

$319 15%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 45.4% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bordeaux

$300 14.1%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 39.2% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Bordeaux

$187 8.8%

Cape Town

$138 9% 26.2% $49

Getting Around

Bordeaux

$67 3.1%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 7.7% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bordeaux

$59 2.8%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 18.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $966 in Bordeaux 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 88% higher in Bordeaux. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Bordeaux versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Bordeaux

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

13:16 1:16 PM

1 h ahead of Bordeaux

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

261,804

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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 = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Bordeaux Cape Town 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bordeaux
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

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

Bordeaux costs about 39% more than Cape Town, 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 $3,192 per month in Bordeaux and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $966 in Bordeaux and $1,047 in Cape Town. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Bordeaux. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $796 per month in Bordeaux and $308 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,128 in Bordeaux and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,527 versus $2,128 in Bordeaux. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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