Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Almaty $2,883

Cape Town costs about 13% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cape Town and Almaty sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

$13.31 ₸5,991

-11.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

$43.37 ₸19.5K

7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

$8.80 ₸3,959

-32.27%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

$3.30 ₸1,486

-25.15%

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

$1.33 R 22.03

$1.37 ₸616

-2.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

$0.90 ₸406

14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

$3.13 ₸1,409

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

$4.10 ₸1,847

-10.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$1.66 ₸749

-16.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$0.90 ₸403

32.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$2.06 ₸927

2.43%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$2.37 ₸1,067

27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$12.64 ₸5,689

-29.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.62 ₸2,978

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$10.87 ₸4,893

-14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$1.86 ₸839

-1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$2.37 ₸1,067

-19.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$2.99 ₸1,348

-41.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$2.83 ₸1,273

-26.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$0.77 ₸345

101.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$0.58 ₸262

156.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$1.59 ₸718

-18.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$0.99 ₸446

17.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

$2.54 ₸1,145

46.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

$11.04 ₸4,969

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$1.21 ₸546

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

$2.41 ₸1,085

-8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

$0.25 ₸113

504.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

$21.84 ₸9,831

179.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

$1.28 ₸577

-50.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

$0.64 ₸289

139.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

$10.74 ₸4,836

-55.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

$0.69 ₸312

128.99%

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

$22.3K ₸10.0M

59.37%

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

8.22%

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

$116 R 1,930

$87.8 ₸39.5K

32.61%

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

$28.37 R 471

$10.83 ₸4,874

161.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

$17.40 ₸7,831

133.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$6.68 ₸3,009

32.19%

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

$261 R 4,336

$446 ₸200.8K

-41.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-43.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-40.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

$143 ₸64.3K

-17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

$133 ₸60.1K

-19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

$773 ₸348.1K

31.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

$497 ₸223.9K

43.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

$880 ₸396.0K

51.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

-8.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

0.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

$834 ₸375.2K

96.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

20.65

-46.88%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 30.5% $218

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 13% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 37.5% $69

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Almaty

$205 15% 18.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 33.5% $47

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Almaty

$27 2% 63.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 24.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $773 in Almaty. 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 96% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Cape Town vs $251 in Almaty – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

4 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

1,475,400

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Almaty 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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