Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazzaville and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazzaville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in Brazzaville
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Brazzaville Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Brazzaville

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,931

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,931 per month in Brazzaville vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Brazzaville $1,931
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $2,959 per month in Brazzaville vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Brazzaville $2,959
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $3,986 per month in Brazzaville vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Brazzaville $3,986
Cape Town $3,307

Brazzaville costs about 23% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brazzaville and Cape Town sit above the global median – Brazzaville by 44%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.22 FCFA 4,812

$11.78 R 194

-30.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.75 FCFA 29.1K

$46.55 R 768

6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 FCFA 2,839

$5.96 R 98.4

-18.62%

Cappuccino

$4.05 FCFA 2,370

$2.47 R 40.80

63.97%

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

$1.59 FCFA 929

$1.33 R 21.91

19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 766

$1.03 R 16.99

27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 FCFA 3,264

$3.01 R 49.72

85.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 FCFA 2,157

$3.66 R 60.4

0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 FCFA 1,608

$1.39 R 22.96

97.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.81 FCFA 2,813

$1.19 R 19.60

304.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 FCFA 1,754

$2.11 R 34.84

42.18%

Eggs

$2.87 FCFA 1,678

$3.01 R 49.58

-4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.06 FCFA 9,399

$8.96 R 148

79.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 FCFA 5,527

$6.65 R 110

42.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 FCFA 8,422

$9.29 R 153

54.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 FCFA 1,413

$1.83 R 30.13

32.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

$1.90 R 31.31

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 FCFA 2,089

$1.75 R 28.83

104.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 FCFA 1,701

$2.09 R 34.41

39.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 FCFA 1,509

$1.55 R 25.64

66.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 FCFA 1,376

$1.49 R 24.53

57.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 FCFA 796

$1.30 R 21.41

4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 FCFA 487

$1.16 R 19.19

-28.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 FCFA 2,181

$3.71 R 61.2

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 FCFA 6,075

$6.06 R 100

71.29%

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)

$0.25 FCFA 145

$1.51 R 24.98

-83.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.00 FCFA 13.5K

$61.0 R 1,006

-62.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

$0.63 R 10.33

174.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 FCFA 768

$1.53 R 25.29

-14.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 FCFA 3,946

$4.81 R 79.4

40.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 FCFA 798

$1.58 R 26.08

-13.92%

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

$29.5K FCFA 17.2M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-17.03%

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

$26.9K FCFA 15.7M

$31.7K R 523.8K

-15.22%

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

$839 FCFA 491.1K

$116 R 1,920

621.21%

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

$17.27 FCFA 10.1K

$28.37 R 468

-39.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 FCFA 24.7K

$40.69 R 671

3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.27 FCFA 15.4K

$48.85 R 806

-46.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 FCFA 8,133

$11.13 R 184

24.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 FCFA 3,279

$8.83 R 146

-36.58%

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

$52.2 FCFA 30.5K

$261 R 4,314

-80.05%

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)

$1,175 FCFA 687.2K

$1,015 R 16.7K

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 FCFA 264.1K

$715 R 11.8K

-36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 FCFA 1.9M

$1,801 R 29.7K

77.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 FCFA 848.0K

$1,330 R 22.0K

8.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,458 FCFA 2.0M

$2,331 R 38.5K

48.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,979 FCFA 1.7M

$1,513 R 25.0K

96.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 FCFA 264.1K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-72.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

10.97

-40.38%

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

Last update for Brazzaville: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazzaville

$899 46.5%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 79.4% $713

Accommodation & Living

Brazzaville

$451 23.4%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 58.5% $264

Groceries & Markets

Brazzaville

$338 * 17.5%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 34.1% $115

Eating Out

Brazzaville

$176 9.1%

Cape Town

$174 11% 1.2% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brazzaville

$37 1.9%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 77.5% $29

Getting Around

Brazzaville

$32 1.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 133% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Brazzaville

- * 0%

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,175 in Brazzaville 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 262% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Brazzaville versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇬 Brazzaville

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h ahead of Brazzaville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,932,610 Capital

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

Brazzaville Cape Town 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brazzaville
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

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

Brazzaville costs about 23% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,897 per month in Brazzaville 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 Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Brazzaville and $47.00 in Cape Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,931 in Brazzaville and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 23%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Brazzaville at $1,931. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brazzaville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $1,931 in Brazzaville. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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