Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,078 in Bursa versus $1,643 in Cape Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,700 in Bursa versus $2,522 in Cape Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,322 in Bursa versus $3,400 in Cape Town.

Living in Bursa costs roughly 34% less than in Cape Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bursa is 22% below, Cape Town is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 ₺411

$12.65 R 204

-33.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.13 ₺1,512

$49.67 R 800

-37.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 ₺349

$5.79 R 93.2

24.01%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ₺165

$2.57 R 41.44

31.91%

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

$0.96 ₺46.67

$1.41 R 22.77

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₺18.06

$1.01 R 16.19

-63.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ₺109

$3.11 R 50.2

-27.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₺147

$3.67 R 59.0

-17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 ₺47.22

$1.39 R 22.39

-30.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ₺40.72

$1.28 R 20.67

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₺111

$2.17 R 34.90

5.53%

Eggs

$2.29 ₺111

$3.19 R 51.3

-28.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 ₺498

$8.80 R 142

16.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₺259

$7.30 R 117

-26.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 ₺929

$9.59 R 154

99.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ₺85.8

$1.96 R 31.57

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ₺98.9

$2.01 R 32.39

1.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ₺50.7

$1.79 R 28.81

-41.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₺63.7

$2.18 R 35.06

-39.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₺27.94

$1.56 R 25.08

-62.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₺20.34

$1.54 R 24.72

-72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₺36.08

$1.35 R 21.75

-45.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺35.05

$1.19 R 19.15

-39.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ₺98.4

$3.76 R 60.6

-46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 ₺592

$6.23 R 100

95.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₺94.8

$1.43 R 23.06

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₺105

$2.25 R 36.20

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₺49.14

$1.52 R 24.42

-33.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.90 ₺1,792

$62.1 R 1,000

-40.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₺51.4

$0.60 R 9.68

76.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺41.19

$1.59 R 25.56

-46.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 ₺350

$5.20 R 83.8

38.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₺62.2

$1.58 R 25.38

-18.99%

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

$43.1K ₺2.1M

$37.5K R 604.2K

14.85%

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

$41.5K ₺2.0M

$33.3K R 536.3K

24.58%

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

$80.2 ₺3,893

$122 R 1,967

-34.36%

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

$10.93 ₺531

$31.30 R 504

-65.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.72 ₺666

$39.49 R 636

-65.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 ₺3,460

$50.6 R 815

40.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.82 ₺1,108

$11.87 R 191

92.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ₺306

$9.10 R 147

-30.77%

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

$576 ₺28.0K

$275 R 4,434

109.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₺561.1K

$6,638 R 106.9K

74.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.10 ₺2,141

$59.0 R 950

-25.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.20 ₺1,757

$34.23 R 551

5.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 ₺4,050

$125 R 2,009

-33.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₺5,004

$109 R 1,760

-5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₺19.3K

$1,063 R 17.1K

-62.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₺15.4K

$740 R 11.9K

-57.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 ₺35.5K

$1,866 R 30.0K

-60.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 ₺31.9K

$1,367 R 22.0K

-51.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,343 ₺65.2K

$2,415 R 38.9K

-44.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,331 ₺64.6K

$1,564 R 25.2K

-14.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,026 ₺49.8K

$1,637 R 26.4K

-37.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.67

11.02

287.21%

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

Last update for Bursa: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $397 in Bursa and $1,063 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 60% 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: $31.00 in Bursa vs $50.0 in Cape Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $231, with Cape Town cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Cape Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $397 in Bursa versus $1,063 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cape Town pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $50.0 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Bursa versus $1,643 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.