Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calabar and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Calabar: $821 a month against $1,556 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Calabar

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$821

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $821 per month in Calabar vs $1,556 in Cape Town, rent included.

Calabar $821
Cape Town $1,556

A couple spends around $1,130 per month in Calabar vs $2,432 in Cape Town, rent included.

Calabar $1,130
Cape Town $2,432

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Calabar vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Calabar $1,440
Cape Town $3,307

Calabar is about 47% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Calabar sits 40% below the global median, while Cape Town is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₦1,531

$12.09 R 201

-90.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.34 R 738

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.24

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

$0.35 ₦475

$1.26 R 21.03

-72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₦255

$1.00 R 16.56

-81.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₦1,160

$3.08 R 51.2

-71.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₦1,637

$3.70 R 61.5

-67.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.38

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₦1,831

$1.19 R 19.86

15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₦1,959

$2.10 R 34.96

-30.48%

Eggs

$3.05 R 50.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 145

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 R 116

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 R 156

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.39

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.27

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.04

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 R 34.02

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.08

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.61

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R 21.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₦577

$1.19 R 19.78

-63.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 R 60.4

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 ₦6,047

$6.17 R 103

-26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₦1,480

$1.39 R 23.10

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₦2,020

$2.18 R 36.27

-30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 R 22.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,020

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 R 9.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 R 24.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 R 81.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.25

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

$34.7K R 577.5K

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

$34.1K R 567.4K

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

$117 R 1,945

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

$28.35 R 472

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.58 R 675

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.54 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.80 R 180

Cinema Ticket

$9.11 R 152

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

$302 R 5,024

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,720 R 111.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 R 919

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 R 544

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,961

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 R 1,728

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 ₦1.5M

$1,041 R 17.3K

9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₦1.0M

$691 R 11.5K

10.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 ₦2.5M

$1,981 R 33.0K

-5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 ₦1.8M

$1,388 R 23.1K

-4.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 R 40.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R 25.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,576 R 26.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Calabar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$691 44.4%

Groceries & Markets

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$224 14.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$186 11.9%

Eating Out

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$175 11.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$139 9%

Getting Around

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Calabar

–

Cape Town

$67 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,138 in Calabar versus $1,041 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.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Calabar

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

16:45 4:45 PM

1 h ahead of Calabar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

371,022

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calabar Cape Town 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Calabar
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $821 in Calabar, $1,556 in Cape Town – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,232 per month in Calabar and $2,335 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 $1,138 in Calabar and $1,041 in Cape Town. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $821 in Calabar and $1,556 in Cape Town. That’s a gap of about 90%.

Groceries cost about 429% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calabar, where all-in costs run around $821, than in Cape Town at $1,556. In Calabar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $821 in Calabar to $1,556 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.