Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brescia and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,188 in Brescia, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Brescia, Italy
Cape Town, South Africa
Brescia
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,188
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,188 in Brescia versus $1,527 in Cape Town.

  • Brescia $2,188
  • Cape Town $1,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Brescia versus $2,417 in Cape Town.

  • Brescia $3,357
  • Cape Town $2,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,526 in Brescia versus $3,306 in Cape Town.

  • Brescia $4,526
  • Cape Town $3,306

Living in Brescia is roughly 43% more expensive than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brescia 62% above, Cape Town 13% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.43 €19.97
$12.01 R 198
86.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.5 €73.5
$42.92 R 707
92.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.06 €12.52
$6.15 R 101
128.62%
Cappuccino
$2.66 €2.37
$2.37 R 39.04
12.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 €3.16
$1.27 R 20.96
178.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 €1.51
$0.94 R 15.46
79.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.83 €6.09
$2.96 R 48.77
130.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.90 €6.14
$3.69 R 60.8
86.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.32 R 21.73
48.48%
White Bread (500g)
$3.30 €2.94
$1.21 R 19.87
172.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.24 €2.88
$2.20 R 36.26
47.27%
Eggs
$4.59 €4.08
$3.10 R 51.1
48.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.58 €21.00
$8.73 R 144
170.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.39 €11.03
$6.89 R 114
79.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.58 €20.99
$9.26 R 153
154.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 €2.47
$1.83 R 30.08
51.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.95 R 32.12
15.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$1.66 R 27.32
52.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.73 €3.32
$2.14 R 35.19
74.30%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.58 R 26.01
38.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 €1.78
$1.47 R 24.29
35.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.35 R 22.18
25.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$1.14 R 18.85
-50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.03 €6.26
$3.58 R 59.0
96.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.26 €7.35
$6.05 R 99.7
36.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 €2.21
$1.39 R 22.95
79.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.13
$2.18 R 35.90
10.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.40 R 23.02
35.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.29 €38.55
$60.8 R 1,001
-28.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.60 €8.55
$0.93 R 15.26
932.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 €1.45
$0.90 R 14.83
81.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.55 €28.10
$4.96 R 81.7
536.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.54 R 25.37
34.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.6K €32.5K
$35.4K R 582.8K
3.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$33.4K R 549.9K
15.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$318 €283
$117 R 1,929
171.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.10 €12.56
$25.71 R 424
-45.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.72 €27.35
$39.41 R 649
-22.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.49 €36.05
$51.6 R 850
-21.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.49 €23.58
$11.35 R 187
133.39%
Cinema Ticket
$15.59 €13.88
$8.89 R 146
75.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$901 €803
$308 R 5,069
193.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.0K €18.7K
$8,141 R 134.2K
158.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$118 €105
$57.4 R 946
106.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.70 €39.80
$31.75 R 523
40.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 €100.0
$116 R 1,911
-3.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 €146
$101 R 1,660
63.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$937 €835
$1,047 R 17.2K
-10.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$763 €680
$669 R 11.0K
14.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,908 €1,699
$1,861 R 30.7K
2.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,388 €1,236
$1,407 R 23.2K
-1.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,370 €3,001
$2,410 R 39.7K
39.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,255 €2,008
$1,570 R 25.9K
43.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brescia
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,994 €1,775
$1,630 R 26.9K
22.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.47
10.89
-68.14%

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

Last update for Brescia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brescia
$763
Cape Town
$669 12.3% $94
Groceries & Markets
Brescia
$401
Cape Town
$223 44.4% $178
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brescia
$362
Cape Town
$182 49.7% $180
Eating Out
Brescia
$322
Cape Town
$174 46% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Brescia
$198
Cape Town
$138 30.4% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Brescia
$72
Cape Town
$69 3.2% $2.3
Getting Around
Brescia
$69
Cape Town
$72 4.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $937 in Brescia and $1,047 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brescia pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83 in Brescia vs $43 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $223 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Brescia
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
13:24 1:24 PM
14:24 2:24 PM
1 h ahead of Brescia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
187,567
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brescia Cape Town 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brescia
  • 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
Brescia vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brescia or Cape Town?
Cape Town wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Brescia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cape Town the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Brescia or in Cape Town?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Brescia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Brescia compared to Cape Town?
Rent for a central apartment: $937 in Brescia versus $1,047 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Brescia and in Cape Town?
Dining out is cheaper in Cape Town – a meal for two runs $43 versus $83 in Brescia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Brescia compared to Cape Town?
All in, you’ll spend $2,188 per month in Brescia versus $1,527 in Cape Town – Cape Town is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Brescia or in Cape Town?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cape Town is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brescia or Cape Town?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Brescia or to Cape Town?
It comes down to priorities – Cape Town wins on affordability, Brescia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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