Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Aleppo

For one person, living is cheaper in Aleppo: $667 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Aleppo
Learn more

Aleppo Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Aleppo

🇸🇾 Syria

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town versus $667 in Aleppo.

Cape Town $1,568
Aleppo $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,438 in Cape Town versus $1,075 in Aleppo.

Cape Town $2,438
Aleppo $1,075

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Cape Town versus $1,483 in Aleppo.

Cape Town $3,307
Aleppo $1,483

Living in Cape Town is roughly 135% more expensive than in Aleppo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Aleppo is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$3.07 SYP 373

283.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$19.88 SYP 2,416

134.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$3.28 SYP 398

81.71%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$1.29 SYP 157

91.47%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.22 SYP 149

9.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.54 SYP 66.2

90.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$3.01 SYP 366

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$1.34 SYP 163

173.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.53 SYP 186

-9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.93 SYP 113

27.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.67 SYP 203

26.35%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$3.14 SYP 382

-4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$8.13 SYP 988

10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.30 SYP 766

5.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$10.45 SYP 1,269

-11.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.24 SYP 151

47.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$2.43 SYP 295

-21.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.26 SYP 153

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.83 SYP 101

151.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.81 SYP 98.1

91.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.96 SYP 117

55.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.31 SYP 38.18

319.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.75 SYP 91.3

54.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$3.20 SYP 389

15.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$4.76 SYP 578

27.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.98 SYP 241

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$2.56 SYP 311

-14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.22 SYP 26.28

586.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$3.04 SYP 370

1905.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$1.92 SYP 234

-67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$2.01 SYP 244

-23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$3.88 SYP 472

23.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.39 SYP 169

13.67%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$23.2K SYP 2.8M

53.11%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$20.8K SYP 2.5M

52.91%

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

$116 R 1,920

$77.2 SYP 9,386

50.67%

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

$28.37 R 468

$13.42 SYP 1,631

111.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$20.02 SYP 2,433

103.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$14.91 SYP 1,812

227.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$19.92 SYP 2,421

-44.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$3.04 SYP 370

190.46%

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

$261 R 4,314

$68.5 SYP 8,324

281.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$1,555 SYP 188.9K

331.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$70.6 SYP 8,577

-21.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$62.4 SYP 7,583

-48.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$113 SYP 13.8K

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$145 SYP 17.7K

-26.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$89.7 SYP 10.9K

1032.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$76.3 SYP 9,274

837.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$228 SYP 27.6K

691.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$154 SYP 18.8K

761.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$787 SYP 95.6K

196.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$296 SYP 35.9K

411.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$64.2 SYP 7,800

2448.84%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Aleppo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Aleppo

$76 11.3% 89.3% $639

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Aleppo

$200 29.7% 10% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Aleppo

$111 16.4% 40.3% $75

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Aleppo

$75 11.1% 57% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Aleppo

$176 26.1% 25.5% $36

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Aleppo

$16 2.4% 78.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Aleppo

$21 3.1% 68.4% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,015 in Cape Town and $89.7 in Aleppo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 2449% 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: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $20.00 in Aleppo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $200 per month, with Aleppo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇾 Aleppo

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

04:53 4:53 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

2,132,100

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Aleppo 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Aleppo

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 Aleppo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Aleppo differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,568 vs $667 including rent). Aleppo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2449% higher in Cape Town, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,015 in Cape Town versus $89.7 in Aleppo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,568 per month in Cape Town versus $667 in Aleppo – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Aleppo runs roughly 1905% less than in Cape Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $667 in Aleppo versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aleppo but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Aleppo 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.

Expats usually find Aleppo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.