Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ankara Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ankara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $1,347 in Ankara, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $2,044 in Ankara, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $2,741 in Ankara, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 22% more than Ankara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Ankara is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 195

$10.50 ₺508

16.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 782

$41.77 ₺2,022

17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.4

$9.18 ₺444

-38.45%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.15

$3.89 ₺188

-32.13%

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

$1.31 R 21.03

$1.63 ₺79.1

-19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.91

$0.66 ₺32.14

60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.7

$5.13 ₺248

-38.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 60.7

$5.63 ₺272

-32.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.05

$1.15 ₺55.9

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.75

$0.90 ₺43.77

36.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.84

$2.33 ₺113

-6.44%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.64

$2.57 ₺125

18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 147

$10.11 ₺489

-9.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 110

$5.29 ₺256

30.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 149

$20.31 ₺983

-54.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.26

$2.02 ₺97.7

-6.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.52

$2.14 ₺103

-5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.66

$1.36 ₺65.9

22.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.48

$1.54 ₺74.4

44.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.44

$0.56 ₺26.87

173.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.85

$0.49 ₺23.76

230.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.33

$1.03 ₺49.68

29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.83

$0.68 ₺33.08

73.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.4

$2.23 ₺108

60.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 99.9

$12.20 ₺591

-48.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.47

$2.15 ₺104

-34.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 37.02

$3.04 ₺147

-23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.20

$0.74 ₺35.66

95.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 984

$12.40 ₺600

396.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.32

$1.21 ₺58.4

-46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.87

$0.74 ₺35.62

118.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.0

$5.47 ₺265

-7.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.11

$1.34 ₺64.7

17.16%

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

$37.1K R 593.1K

$49.7K ₺2.4M

-25.37%

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

$33.2K R 530.7K

$42.2K ₺2.0M

-21.34%

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

$121 R 1,930

$89.0 ₺4,308

35.61%

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

$30.79 R 492

$10.58 ₺512

191.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 633

$17.49 ₺847

126.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 811

$65.7 ₺3,182

-22.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 189

$14.71 ₺712

-19.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 150

$7.92 ₺384

18.06%

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

$265 R 4,243

$1,034 ₺50.1K

-74.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 104.9K

$18.2K ₺879.9K

-63.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 921

$47.39 ₺2,294

21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 530

$49.52 ₺2,397

-33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,932

$101 ₺4,865

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,756

$92.9 ₺4,499

18.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.6K

$739 ₺35.8K

40.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.6K

$553 ₺26.8K

31.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.3K

$1,192 ₺57.7K

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.7K

$877 ₺42.4K

55.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 39.8K

$1,662 ₺80.5K

49.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.8K

$1,135 ₺55.0K

42.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.3K

$1,060 ₺51.3K

54.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

42.86

-74.29%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ankara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $739 in Ankara. 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 55% 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $42.00 in Ankara. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Cape Town vs $250 in Ankara – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 22% more than Ankara, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $2,021 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $265 per month in Cape Town and $1,034 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,347, than in Cape Town at $1,640. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,347 versus $1,640 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ankara. 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.