Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Algiers

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $594 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
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Algiers Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town versus $594 in Algiers.

Cape Town $1,568
Algiers $594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,438 in Cape Town versus $974 in Algiers.

Cape Town $2,438
Algiers $974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Cape Town versus $1,354 in Algiers.

Cape Town $3,307
Algiers $1,354

Living in Cape Town is roughly 164% more expensive than in Algiers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Algiers is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

$3.45 DZD 461

241.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

$28.50 DZD 3,811

63.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

$4.28 DZD 572

39.25%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

$1.11 DZD 149

122.52%

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

$1.33 R 22.03

$0.60 DZD 80.7

121.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

$0.27 DZD 35.79

281.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

$2.23 DZD 298

34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

$2.20 DZD 295

66.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$0.90 DZD 121

54.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$0.14 DZD 18.69

750.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$1.10 DZD 147

91.82%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$1.26 DZD 168

138.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$7.99 DZD 1,069

12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$4.02 DZD 538

65.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$14.57 DZD 1,949

-36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$2.03 DZD 272

-9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$2.70 DZD 361

-29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$1.07 DZD 144

63.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$0.93 DZD 124

124.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$0.58 DZD 77.4

167.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$0.45 DZD 60.4

231.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$0.77 DZD 103

68.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$0.27 DZD 36.38

329.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

$3.19 DZD 426

16.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

$6.53 DZD 874

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$1.28 DZD 171

8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

$1.88 DZD 252

17.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

$0.36 DZD 48.47

319.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

$6.75 DZD 902

803.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

$0.55 DZD 73.5

14.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

$0.47 DZD 63.0

225.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

$5.71 DZD 763

-15.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

$0.36 DZD 47.67

338.89%

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

$35.0K DZD 4.7M

1.43%

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

-6.35%

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

$116 R 1,930

$43.39 DZD 5,803

168.22%

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

$28.37 R 471

$9.87 DZD 1,320

187.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

$12.32 DZD 1,648

230.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

$24.45 DZD 3,270

99.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

$27.00 DZD 3,612

-58.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$4.54 DZD 607

94.49%

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

$261 R 4,336

$547 DZD 73.1K

-52.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

$6,264 DZD 837.8K

7.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

$31.71 DZD 4,241

74.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

$35.33 DZD 4,725

-8.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

$69.9 DZD 9,355

68.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

$79.2 DZD 10.6K

35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

$163 DZD 21.8K

523.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

$130 DZD 17.4K

448.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

$440 DZD 58.8K

309.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

$244 DZD 32.6K

446.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

$2,547 DZD 340.6K

-8.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

$1,373 DZD 183.6K

10.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

$330 DZD 44.1K

396.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.3

106.98%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Algiers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Algiers

$130 22.3% 81.8% $585

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Algiers

$175 29.9% 21.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Algiers

$66 11.2% 64.6% $120

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Algiers

$73 12.4% 58.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Algiers

$97 16.6% 30.8% $43

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Algiers

$11 1.9% 85.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Algiers

$34 5.7% 49.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,015 in Cape Town and $163 in Algiers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 396% 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 $28.00 in Algiers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $175 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇩🇿 Algiers

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

3,415,811 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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 = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Algiers 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Algiers

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 Algiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 396% 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 $163 in Algiers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,568 per month in Cape Town versus $594 in Algiers – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Algiers versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Algiers 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 Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.