Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Afula

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $2,723 in Afula, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Afula
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Afula Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Afula

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town versus $2,723 in Afula.

Cape Town $1,586
Afula $2,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,425 in Cape Town versus $4,065 in Afula.

Cape Town $2,425
Afula $4,065

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in Cape Town versus $5,408 in Afula.

Cape Town $3,263
Afula $5,408

Living in Cape Town costs roughly 42% less than in Afula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Town 17% above, Afula 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$25.68 ₪79.9

-52.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$90.5 ₪281

-49.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$17.12 ₪53.3

-65.65%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$4.56 ₪14.19

-45.18%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$3.99 ₪12.40

-68.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$2.77 ₪8.62

-64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$9.15 ₪28.46

-67.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$6.11 ₪19.00

-39.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$2.67 ₪8.32

-51.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$3.27 ₪10.17

-61.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$3.32 ₪10.33

-32.83%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$4.51 ₪14.02

-31.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$13.23 ₪41.17

-31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$19.19 ₪59.7

-63.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$26.34 ₪81.9

-64.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$3.32 ₪10.34

-44.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.95 ₪9.17

-33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.23 ₪6.93

-25.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$1.63 ₪5.08

33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.61 ₪5.00

-2.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.56 ₪4.86

-5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.95 ₪6.06

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$2.47 ₪7.67

-54.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$15.47 ₪48.12

-76.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$12.64 ₪39.33

-51.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$4.79 ₪14.91

-71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$4.08 ₪12.70

-47.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.59 ₪8.06

-42.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$99.9 ₪311

-39.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$3.96 ₪12.33

-85.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.18 ₪3.68

27.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$19.30 ₪60.0

-73.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$2.47 ₪7.69

-37.25%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$57.0K ₪177.3K

-36.48%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$59.7K ₪185.8K

-47.67%

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

$114 R 1,883

$277 ₪862

-58.73%

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

$28.91 R 476

$11.96 ₪37.22

141.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$26.17 ₪81.4

51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$78.4 ₪244

-37.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$23.19 ₪72.1

-52.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$12.29 ₪38.23

-25.55%

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

$259 R 4,264

$1,143 ₪3,555

-77.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$28.3K ₪88.1K

-76.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$52.5 ₪163

7.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$64.0 ₪199

-49.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$124 ₪386

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$149 ₪465

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$1,470 ₪4,574

-30.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$1,153 ₪3,588

-37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$2,340 ₪7,281

-22.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$1,913 ₪5,953

-30.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$9,416 ₪29.3K

-74.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$8,080 ₪25.1K

-80.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$3,283 ₪10.2K

-50.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.05

170.86%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Afula: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Afula

$1.2K 42.4% 60.9% $436

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Afula

$460 16.9% 104% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Afula

$315 11.6% 72.3% $132

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Afula

$396 14.6% 125% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Afula

$175 6.4% 22.9% $33

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Afula

$120 4.4% 60.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Afula

$103 3.8% 53% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,021 in Cape Town and $1,470 in Afula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Afula 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: $45.00 in Cape Town vs $90.0 in Afula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $460 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇱 Afula

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

53,958

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Afula 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Afula

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 Afula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Afula differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,586 vs $2,723 including rent). Cape Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Afula. 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: $1,021 in Cape Town versus $1,470 in Afula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Afula. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cape Town – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $90.0 in Afula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,586 in Cape Town versus $2,723 in Afula, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cape Town but tight or insufficient in Afula. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Afula 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 Cape Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Afula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.