Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Alcoy

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,580 in Alcoy, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alcoy outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cape Town, South Africa
Alcoy, Spain
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Alcoy
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,580
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,580 in Alcoy, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Alcoy $1,580

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,339 in Alcoy, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Alcoy $2,339

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,098 in Alcoy, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Alcoy $3,098

Cape Town is about 3% cheaper than Alcoy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Alcoy sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Alcoy by 17%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 198
$10.18 €9.06
17.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 707
$56.1 €49.96
-23.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$12.94 €11.52
-52.47%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.04
$1.77 €1.57
33.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$1.77 €1.58
-28.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.46
$1.32 €1.18
-28.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.77
$3.33 €2.97
-11.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.8
$2.34 €2.08
57.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.73
$1.04 €0.92
26.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.87
$1.47 €1.31
-17.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.26
$1.36 €1.21
61.76%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.1
$3.17 €2.83
-2.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$13.96 €12.43
-37.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$8.27 €7.37
-16.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$15.55 €13.85
-40.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.08
$2.58 €2.30
-29.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.12
$2.00 €1.78
-2.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.32
$2.09 €1.86
-20.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.19
$2.61 €2.32
-18.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.01
$1.77 €1.58
-10.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.29
$2.01 €1.79
-26.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.18
$1.39 €1.23
-2.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.85
$0.53 €0.48
115.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.0
$6.10 €5.43
-41.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.7
$5.71 €5.09
5.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.95
$1.17 €1.04
18.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.90
$1.39 €1.23
56.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.02
$1.54 €1.38
-9.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$27.54 €24.53
120.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.26
$3.45 €3.07
-73.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.83
$1.40 €1.25
-35.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.7
$27.20 €24.22
-81.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.37
$1.77 €1.57
-12.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.8K
$33.3K €29.7K
6.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 549.9K
$29.7K €26.4K
12.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,929
$153 €136
-23.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 424
$17.87 €15.91
43.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 649
$29.93 €26.65
31.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 850
$43.79 €38.99
17.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 187
$15.50 €13.80
-26.77%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$9.15 €8.15
-2.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,069
$530 €472
-41.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.2K
$9,457 €8,421
-13.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 946
$86.9 €77.4
-34.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 523
$35.40 €31.52
-10.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,911
$91.0 €81.0
27.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,660
$112 €99.3
-9.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.2K
$905 €806
15.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$691 €615
-3.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.7K
$1,330 €1,184
39.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.2K
$1,076 €958
30.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.7K
$3,419 €3,045
-29.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$2,102 €1,872
-25.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Alcoy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
$1,898 €1,690
-14.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
3.3
230.00%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Alcoy: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Alcoy
$691 3.3% $22
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Alcoy
$261 16.8% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Alcoy
$200 10% $18
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Alcoy
$175 0.6% $1.1
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Alcoy
$146 6.2% $8.6
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Alcoy
$44 38.4% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Alcoy
$62 10.5% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $905 in Alcoy. 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 16% higher in Alcoy. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $56 in Alcoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $261 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇪🇸 Alcoy
🕒 Local time
07:43 7:43 AM
06:43 6:43 AM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
59,493
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Alcoy 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Alcoy

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 Alcoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cape Town and in Alcoy compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,527 in Cape Town, $1,580 in Alcoy – Cape Town comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Cape Town compared to Alcoy?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,370 in Alcoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cape Town and Alcoy?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alcoy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $905 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Alcoy, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town and $56 in Alcoy. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,580 in Alcoy. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Cape Town and Alcoy?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,580 in Alcoy. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Cape Town and Alcoy?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alcoy makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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