Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Adana

For one person, living is cheaper in Adana: $901 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,599
/mo nomad
Adana
🇹🇷 Turkey
$901
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Adana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Cape Town versus $901 in Adana.

  • Cape Town $1,599
  • Adana $901

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,460 in Cape Town versus $1,415 in Adana.

  • Cape Town $2,460
  • Adana $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,320 in Cape Town versus $1,928 in Adana.

  • Cape Town $3,320
  • Adana $1,928

Living in Cape Town is roughly 77% more expensive than in Adana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 18% above, Adana is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.07 R 199
$5.87 ₺291
105.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.65 R 769
$23.82 ₺1,180
95.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.20 R 102
$7.16 ₺354
-13.41%
Cappuccino
$2.50 R 41.13
$2.90 ₺144
-13.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 R 22.28
$1.12 ₺55.4
20.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00 R 16.47
$0.32 ₺15.64
212.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 R 50.4
$2.28 ₺113
34.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 R 60.5
$3.83 ₺190
-4.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 R 21.45
$1.02 ₺50.6
27.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 R 20.89
$0.90 ₺44.44
41.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 R 35.68
$2.31 ₺115
-6.06%
Eggs
$3.09 R 50.9
$1.73 ₺85.7
78.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.98 R 148
$10.10 ₺500
-11.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.99 R 115
$3.17 ₺157
120.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.67 R 159
$20.86 ₺1,033
-53.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 R 30.78
$2.14 ₺106
-12.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 R 31.72
$1.89 ₺93.3
2.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 R 29.13
$1.19 ₺58.9
48.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 R 35.86
$1.10 ₺54.4
98.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 R 25.07
$0.38 ₺18.77
300.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 R 25.63
$0.36 ₺17.90
333.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 R 21.74
$0.88 ₺43.50
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 R 18.97
$0.68 ₺33.84
69.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.72 R 61.4
$2.03 ₺101
83.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 R 99.0
$14.89 ₺737
-59.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 R 22.13
$1.97 ₺97.5
-31.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 R 35.11
$2.46 ₺122
-13.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 R 25.53
$0.94 ₺46.29
64.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.3 R 1,010
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.60 R 9.85
$0.83 ₺41.15
-27.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 R 25.36
$0.84 ₺41.59
83.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.01 R 82.5
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 R 26.33
$1.29 ₺64.1
24.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 583.4K
$42.7K ₺2.1M
-16.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K R 570.9K
$38.6K ₺1.9M
-10.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 R 1,955
$58.4 ₺2,889
103.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.42 R 485
$7.31 ₺362
302.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.81 R 656
$14.04 ₺695
183.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 R 836
$37.39 ₺1,851
35.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.93 R 180
$32.00 ₺1,584
-65.84%
Cinema Ticket
$8.99 R 148
$6.63 ₺328
35.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$261 R 4,303
$308 ₺15.3K
-15.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,966 R 114.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 R 925
$30.89 ₺1,529
81.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.26 R 548
$23.72 ₺1,174
40.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 R 1,999
$90.4 ₺4,477
34.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 R 1,779
$200 ₺9,895
-45.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 R 16.9K
$425 ₺21.0K
141.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 R 11.9K
$244 ₺12.1K
194.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,835 R 30.2K
$761 ₺37.7K
141.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 R 22.4K
$438 ₺21.7K
210.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,407 R 39.6K
$700 ₺34.6K
244.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,504 R 24.8K
$430 ₺21.3K
249.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Adana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,649 R 27.2K
$826 ₺40.9K
99.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
47.67
-76.99%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Adana: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$720
Adana
$244 66% $475
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$226
Adana
$235 3.7% $8.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$188
Adana
$80 57.6% $108
Eating Out
Cape Town
$177
Adana
$128 27.7% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$143
Adana
$155 8.2% $12
Getting Around
Cape Town
$76
Adana
$8.8 * 88.4% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Adana
$51 26.3% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Cape Town and $425 in Adana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 100% 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: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $24.00 in Adana. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $235, with Cape Town cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇹🇷 Adana
🕒 Local time
21:17 9:17 PM
22:17 10:17 PM
1 h ahead of Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
2,258,718
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Adana 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Adana

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 Adana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Adana?
Adana wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Cape Town. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Adana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Cape Town or in Adana?
Average pay runs 100% higher in Cape Town, 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 Cape Town compared to Adana?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Cape Town versus $425 in Adana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Cape Town or in Adana?
Shoppers in Cape Town pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Adana?
All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Cape Town versus $901 in Adana – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cape Town or in Adana?
At $901 in Adana versus $1,599 in Cape Town, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Adana but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Adana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cape Town or Adana?
Both work as nomad bases, but Adana delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $901 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Adana hard to pass up.
How safe is Cape Town compared to Adana?
Safety-wise, Cape Town and Adana are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Adana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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