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 $1,274 per month in Cape Town vs $1,281 in Ankara, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $1,825 in Ankara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Cape Town vs $2,370 in Ankara, rent included.

Cape Town is about 1% cheaper than Ankara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cape Town and Ankara are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Ankara 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 179

$9.60 ₺453

13.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 743

$37.78 ₺1,782

19.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 R 85.3

$8.76 ₺413

-40.98%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.77

$3.16 ₺149

-37.03%

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

$1.15 R 18.92

$1.21 ₺57.3

-4.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.49

$0.39 ₺18.17

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 47.43

$3.21 ₺151

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.43

$3.92 ₺185

-37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.21

$1.01 ₺47.63

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.17

$0.71 ₺33.39

54.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.32

$2.30 ₺108

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.79

$2.27 ₺107

8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 R 141

$9.32 ₺440

-8.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 83.2

$5.97 ₺282

-15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 124

$19.67 ₺928

-61.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.01

$1.45 ₺68.6

4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.42

$2.29 ₺108

-37.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$1.33 ₺62.6

9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.50

$1.48 ₺69.8

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.51

$0.68 ₺31.99

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.47

$0.62 ₺29.07

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.94

$1.13 ₺53.4

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.79

$0.42 ₺19.92

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R 49.78

$2.14 ₺101

41.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 99.4

$11.72 ₺553

-48.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$2.02 ₺95.4

-31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.55

$3.24 ₺153

-48.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.64 ₺30.40

51.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 779

$9.55 ₺451

394.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.67

$0.93 ₺43.71

53.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.41

$0.61 ₺28.57

52.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 R 73.7

$6.18 ₺291

-27.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.65

$1.18 ₺55.8

0.85%

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

$21.2K R 350.2K

$43.3K ₺2.0M

-51.03%

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

$23.9K R 394.4K

$42.9K ₺2.0M

-44.36%

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

$99.4 R 1,641

$84.2 ₺3,971

18.16%

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

$33.36 R 550

$10.61 ₺501

214.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 R 675

$13.79 ₺651

196.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 R 693

$54.8 ₺2,586

-23.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.18 R 135

$14.53 ₺686

-43.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 113

$6.25 ₺295

9.92%

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

$210 R 3,467

$602 ₺28.4K

-65.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 R 88.3K

$13.4K ₺634.3K

-60.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 920

$58.3 ₺2,751

-4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 R 554

$45.23 ₺2,134

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,867

$107 ₺5,063

5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R 1,413

$98.7 ₺4,658

-13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R 12.7K

$726 ₺34.3K

5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,631

$523 ₺24.7K

0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R 24.0K

$1,091 ₺51.5K

33.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 R 17.2K

$703 ₺33.2K

48.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 R 38.4K

$1,716 ₺81.0K

35.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 R 24.9K

$1,137 ₺53.7K

32.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 R 26.4K

$1,095 ₺51.7K

46.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

48.4

-75.68%

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

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ankara: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Cape Town versus $726 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 46% 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 $38.00 in Ankara. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Cape Town vs $239 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

Ankara costs about 1% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,911 per month in Cape Town and $1,921 in Ankara. 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 $210 per month in Cape Town and $602 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Ankara, 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 $1,274, than in Ankara at $1,281. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,274 versus $1,281 in Ankara. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.