Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Alges

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $2,009 in Alges, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Alges
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Alges Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Alges

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $2,009 in Alges, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Alges $2,009

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $2,853 in Alges, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Alges $2,853

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $3,697 in Alges, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Alges $3,697

Cape Town is about 21% cheaper than Alges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Alges sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Alges by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$15.36 €13.66

-20.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$54.7 €48.68

-17.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$9.41 €8.37

-37.51%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.64 €2.35

-5.30%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$2.35 €2.09

-45.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$2.25 €2.00

-56.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$3.39 €3.01

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$5.54 €4.93

-32.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.04 €0.93

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.96 €1.75

-36.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.23 €1.98

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$3.42 €3.04

-9.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$10.82 €9.63

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$7.10 €6.31

-2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$14.95 €13.30

-37.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.85 €2.54

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.37 €1.22

43.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.78 €1.59

-6.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$2.24 €2.00

-3.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.56 €1.39

0.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$2.23 €1.98

-33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.54 €1.37

-15.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.78 €0.69

44.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$5.67 €5.05

-36.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$4.90 €4.35

25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.16 €1.03

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$3.09 €2.75

-30.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.26 €2.01

-33.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$44.01 €39.15

38.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$4.56 €4.06

-87.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.99 €0.88

51.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$17.84 €15.87

-71.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$2.05 €1.83

-24.39%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$33.8K €30.1K

7.14%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$38.1K €33.9K

-18.02%

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

$114 R 1,883

$137 €122

-16.32%

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

$28.91 R 476

$24.63 €21.91

17.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$56.3 €50.1

-29.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$44.85 €39.89

9.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$17.11 €15.22

-35.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$7.20 €6.40

27.08%

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

$259 R 4,264

$597 €531

-56.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$18.7K €16.6K

-63.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$76.8 €68.3

-26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$33.38 €29.69

-2.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$90.7 €80.6

33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$94.8 €84.3

14.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$1,240 €1,103

-17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$1,055 €938

-32.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$2,047 €1,821

-10.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$1,559 €1,386

-14.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$2,991 €2,660

-20.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$2,264 €2,014

-31.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$1,229 €1,093

33.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

3.67

198.91%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Alges: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Alges

$1.1K 52.5% 47.1% $338

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Alges

$253 12.6% 12.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Alges

$218 10.8% 18.9% $35

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Alges

$229 11.4% 30.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Alges

$133 6.6% 6.8% $9.8

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Alges

$63 3.1% 16.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Alges

$59 3% 12% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $1,240 in Alges. 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 33% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $55.0 in Alges. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $253 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇹 Alges

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

19,327

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Alges 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Alges

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 Alges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town, $2,009 in Alges – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $3,013 in Alges. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $597 in Alges. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Alges, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,586, than in Alges at $2,009. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,586 in Cape Town to $2,009 in Alges. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.