Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Aktobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktobe: $881 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
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Aktobe Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $881 in Aktobe, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Aktobe $881

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,386 in Aktobe, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Aktobe $1,386

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,891 in Aktobe, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Aktobe $1,891

Cape Town costs about 80% more than Aktobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Aktobe is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$8.74 ₸3,951

38.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$40.63 ₸18.4K

11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$7.01 ₸3,170

-16.12%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.47 ₸1,115

1.21%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$1.26 ₸567

0.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.61 ₸275

60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$1.84 ₸831

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.95 ₸1,335

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.42 ₸641

-8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.41 ₸184

204.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$0.93 ₸421

139.78%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.77 ₸799

75.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$7.82 ₸3,535

15.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$5.68 ₸2,569

21.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$9.10 ₸4,115

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.62 ₸733

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.13 ₸964

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.34 ₸1,058

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$1.94 ₸878

11.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.84 ₸378

86.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.40 ₸181

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.09 ₸494

19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.69 ₸312

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.53 ₸1,142

42.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$5.95 ₸2,689

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.08 ₸489

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.81 ₸818

18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.20 ₸90.8

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$17.62 ₸7,966

244.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$1.08 ₸487

-45.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.13 ₸511

32.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$5.53 ₸2,499

-7.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.65 ₸294

138.46%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$23.1K ₸10.4M

56.74%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$30.6K ₸13.8M

2.03%

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

$114 R 1,883

$55.8 ₸25.2K

105.06%

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

$28.91 R 476

$10.35 ₸4,680

179.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$20.93 ₸9,463

89.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$48.08 ₸21.7K

1.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$12.14 ₸5,490

-9.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$5.44 ₸2,458

68.20%

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

$259 R 4,264

$220 ₸99.6K

17.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$3,286 ₸1.5M

106.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$54.4 ₸24.6K

3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$55.8 ₸25.2K

-41.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$118 ₸53.3K

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$100 ₸45.3K

7.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$307 ₸138.8K

232.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$233 ₸105.5K

207.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$453 ₸204.8K

302.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$359 ₸162.3K

269.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$846 ₸382.4K

182.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$546 ₸247.0K

182.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$548 ₸247.8K

198.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-35.47%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Aktobe

$234 26.5% 67.4% $483

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Aktobe

$185 21% 17.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Aktobe

$87 9.9% 52.4% $96

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Aktobe

$143 16.3% 18.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Aktobe

$148 16.8% 3.5% $5

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Aktobe

$25 2.9% 66.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Aktobe

$59 6.7% 12.4% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $307 in Aktobe. 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 199% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $41.00 in Aktobe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $185 – making Aktobe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

15:16 3:16 PM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

570,452

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Aktobe 10,110 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Aktobe

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 Aktobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,321 in Aktobe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 22% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town and $41.00 in Aktobe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aktobe, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Aktobe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktobe – 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 Aktobe. 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.