Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Al Ghubra

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Ghubra: $89.8 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 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

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,599

/mo nomad

Al Ghubra

🇴🇲 Oman

$89.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Al Ghubra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Cape Town versus $89.8 in Al Ghubra.

Cape Town $1,599
Al Ghubra $89.8

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,460 in Cape Town versus $160 in Al Ghubra.

Cape Town $2,460
Al Ghubra $160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,320 in Cape Town versus $229 in Al Ghubra.

Cape Town $3,320
Al Ghubra $229

Living in Cape Town is roughly 1680% more expensive than in Al Ghubra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 18% above, Al Ghubra is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

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

$1.35 R 22.28

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$0.25 OMR 0.10

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

$2.65 OMR 1.02

-50.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

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

$119 R 1,955

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

$29.42 R 485

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$43.75 OMR 16.84

16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

$36.90 OMR 14.21

-70.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

$9.29 OMR 3.58

-3.23%

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

$261 R 4,303

$186 OMR 71.5

40.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

$3,133 OMR 1,206

-47.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Al Ghubra: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Al Ghubra

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Al Ghubra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Al Ghubra

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Al Ghubra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Al Ghubra

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Al Ghubra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Al Ghubra

–

Cost Breakdown

Al Ghubra pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇴🇲 Al Ghubra

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

797,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Al Ghubra 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Al Ghubra

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 Al Ghubra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Al Ghubra differ by about 1680% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $89.8 including rent). Al Ghubra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Al Ghubra. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $261 in Cape Town versus $186 in Al Ghubra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Cape Town versus $89.8 in Al Ghubra – a 1680% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $89.8 in Al Ghubra versus $1,599 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Ghubra but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Al Ghubra 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 Al Ghubra 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 Al Ghubra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1680% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.