Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ancona

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,617 in Ancona, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Ancona despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Ancona
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Ancona Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Ancona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,617 in Ancona, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Ancona $1,617

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,400 in Ancona, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Ancona $2,400

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,184 in Ancona, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Ancona $3,184

Cape Town is about 6% cheaper than Ancona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Ancona sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Ancona by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$16.45 €14.65

-26.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$77.9 €69.4

-44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$11.07 €9.86

-44.44%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$1.97 €1.76

20.30%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$2.53 €2.26

-49.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$1.23 €1.09

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$5.75 €5.12

-48.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$5.69 €5.07

-35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$1.18 €1.05

11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$2.23 €1.98

-45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$2.13 €1.90

3.29%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$2.80 €2.50

10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$13.57 €12.09

-35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$11.35 €10.11

-39.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$17.12 €15.25

-45.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$2.28 €2.03

-19.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$1.55 €1.38

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$2.50 €2.22

-33.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$2.88 €2.57

-25.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$1.54 €1.37

2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$1.80 €1.61

-18.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$1.44 €1.28

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$0.37 €0.33

208.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$6.82 €6.08

-47.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$5.42 €4.83

11.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$1.61 €1.44

-13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$2.02 €1.80

7.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$1.80 €1.61

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$39.78 €35.44

52.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$5.64 €5.02

-83.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.85 €1.65

-51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$23.79 €21.19

-79.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$1.94 €1.73

-20.62%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$35.5K €31.6K

-0.26%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$37.9K €33.7K

-11.86%

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

$117 R 1,918

$281 €250

-58.30%

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

$25.71 R 421

$13.76 €12.26

86.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$36.34 €32.37

8.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$52.7 €46.92

-2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$19.90 €17.73

-42.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$11.29 €10.06

-21.26%

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

$308 R 5,040

$151 €135

103.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$88.0 €78.4

-34.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$30.36 €27.04

4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$90.2 €80.4

28.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$98.8 €88.0

1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$584 €520

79.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$478 €426

40.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$933 €831

99.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$670 €597

110.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$2,629 €2,342

-8.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$1,726 €1,538

-9.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$1,843 €1,642

-11.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

263.00%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ancona: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Ancona

$478 29.6% 28.6% $191

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Ancona

$289 17.9% 29.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Ancona

$331 20.5% 81.6% $149

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Ancona

$244 15.1% 40% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Ancona

$138 8.6% 0.5% $0.7

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Ancona

$62 3.8% 13.8% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Ancona

$75 4.7% 8.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $584 in Ancona. 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 13% higher in Ancona. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $78 in Ancona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $289 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇹 Ancona

🕒 Local time

01:53 1:53 AM

00:53 12:53 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

100,861

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Ancona 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ancona

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 Ancona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ancona is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,425 in Ancona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ancona, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $584 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Ancona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $151 in Ancona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,617 in Ancona. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,617 in Ancona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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