Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Aba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $408 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities 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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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Aba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Aba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $408 in Aba, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Aba $408

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $664 in Aba, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Aba $664

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $921 in Aba, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Aba $921

Cape Town costs about 289% more than Aba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Aba is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$7.43 ₦9,880

-20.86%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$0.87 ₦1,159

187.36%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$2.06 ₦2,746

45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.35 ₦3,120

58.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$3.69 ₦4,907

-64.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$2.22 ₦2,951

-43.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$11.43 ₦15.2K

-20.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$1.28 ₦1,703

626.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$5.35 ₦7,121

-65.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$0.56 ₦740

250.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$3.62 ₦4,811

-56.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.16 ₦1,539

12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.14 ₦184

707.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$1.47 ₦1,959

144.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$7.42 ₦9,870

-17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.27 ₦1,683

8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.46 ₦1,940

46.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$9.24 ₦12.3K

557.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$6,010 ₦8.0M

502.46%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$7,584 ₦10.1M

312.02%

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

$114 R 1,883

$116 ₦153.7K

-1.08%

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

$28.91 R 476

$2.22 ₦2,957

1202.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$45.39 ₦60.4K

-12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$2.06 ₦2,734

344.17%

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$1,067 ₦1.4M

536.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$15.19 ₦20.2K

693.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$18.89 ₦25.1K

472.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$133 ₦177.5K

665.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$451 ₦599.4K

304.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$228 ₦303.9K

480.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,102 ₦1.5M

116.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$469 ₦624.0K

228.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$96.4 ₦128.2K

1600.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-8.58%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aba: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Aba

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Aba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Aba

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Aba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Aba

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Aba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Aba

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $133 in Aba. 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 1600% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇬 Aba

🕒 Local time

19:20 7:20 PM

18:20 6:20 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

1,020,900

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Aba 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Aba

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

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

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 289%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $612 in Aba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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.

Public transport costs about 557% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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