Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Akure

For one person, living is cheaper in Akure: $278 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Akure
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $278 in Akure, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,586
  • Akure $278

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $449 in Akure, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,425
  • Akure $449

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $620 in Akure, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,263
  • Akure $620

Cape Town costs about 470% more than Akure, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Akure is 79% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.14 R 200
$1.10 ₦1,462
1003.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.34 R 747
$8.87 ₦11.8K
411.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 R 96.9
$7.34 ₦9,767
-19.89%
Cappuccino
$2.50 R 41.18
$2.73 ₦3,629
-8.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.94
$0.24 ₦320
429.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 R 16.14
$0.15 ₦194
553.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 R 49.33
$0.97 ₦1,294
208.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 R 61.4
$2.03 ₦2,699
83.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 R 21.40
$1.55 ₦2,059
-16.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 R 20.68
$0.63 ₦832
98.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 R 36.76
$1.24 ₦1,650
79.84%
Eggs
$3.11 R 51.2
$0.82 ₦1,086
279.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 R 149
$3.45 ₦4,591
162.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.92 R 114
$3.98 ₦5,299
73.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.30 R 153
$2.29 ₦3,047
306.11%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 R 30.25
$1.54 ₦2,054
19.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 R 32.29
$0.76 ₦1,015
157.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.45
$0.70 ₦927
138.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 R 35.70
$0.89 ₦1,180
143.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 R 25.81
$0.80 ₦1,059
96.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 R 24.45
$0.96 ₦1,280
54.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.41
$0.83 ₦1,103
56.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 R 18.60
$0.37 ₦487
205.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.60 R 59.3
$0.59 ₦785
510.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.15 R 101
$2.25 ₦2,991
173.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 R 22.66
$0.53 ₦707
160.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 R 35.20
$0.47 ₦624
355.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 R 24.65
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.59 R 9.71
$0.65 ₦868
-9.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 R 24.65
$0.98 ₦1,308
53.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.11 R 84.2
$2.15 ₦2,860
137.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 R 25.50
$0.18 ₦241
761.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K R 596.5K
$11.2K ₦14.9M
223.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K R 514.8K
$13.9K ₦18.4M
125.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 R 1,883
$11.11 ₦14.8K
928.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.91 R 476
$5.25 ₦6,978
450.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.73 R 654
$9.23 ₦12.3K
330.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.01 R 808
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.99 R 181
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.15 R 151
$6.21 ₦8,258
47.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$259 R 4,264
$674 ₦896.4K
-61.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,794 R 111.9K
$19.8K ₦26.4M
-65.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.2 R 926
$14.94 ₦19.9K
276.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.41 R 534
$18.14 ₦24.1K
78.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 R 1,987
$36.92 ₦49.1K
226.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 R 1,781
$49.18 ₦65.4K
119.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 R 16.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 R 11.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,824 R 30.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 R 21.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,391 R 39.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 R 25.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Akure
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,639 R 27.0K
$37.22 ₦49.5K
4302.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
18.39
-40.35%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Akure: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$717
Akure
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$225
Akure
$107 52.5% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$183
Akure
$26 86% $157
Eating Out
Cape Town
$176
Akure
$74 58% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$143
Akure
$54 62.4% $89
Getting Around
Cape Town
$75
Akure
$5.6 * 92.6% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$67
Akure
$12 * 81.5% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 4303% 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 $9.00 in Akure. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $107 – making Akure the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇳🇬 Akure
🕒 Local time
20:53 8:53 PM
19:53 7:53 PM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
387,087
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Akure 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Akure

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 Akure: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cape Town and in Akure compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town, $278 in Akure – roughly 470% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Cape Town compared to Akure?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $417 in Akure. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town and $9.00 in Akure. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 111% 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.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Akure, where all-in costs run around $278, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Akure it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cape Town and Akure?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $278 in Akure to $1,586 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Cape Town and Akure?
If budget matters most, go with Akure. 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.

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