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 $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $1,266 in Ankara, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,842 in Ankara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $2,418 in Ankara, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 1% more than Ankara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Cape Town and Ankara are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Ankara 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$9.67 ₺445

13.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 734

$37.89 ₺1,745

18.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.1

$8.95 ₺412

-45.14%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.62

$3.19 ₺147

-37.30%

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

$1.10 R 18.02

$1.21 ₺55.8

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.48

$0.38 ₺17.67

118.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.76

$3.21 ₺148

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.52

$3.79 ₺175

-34.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$0.94 ₺43.44

22.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.66

$0.65 ₺30.15

66.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.51

$2.31 ₺106

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.28

$2.30 ₺106

7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 140

$9.37 ₺432

-8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.8

$5.87 ₺270

-12.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 125

$19.66 ₺905

-61.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.34

$1.47 ₺67.5

1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.36

$2.28 ₺105

-34.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$1.30 ₺59.9

14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.95

$1.54 ₺71.1

3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.61

$0.74 ₺34.04

45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.24

$0.57 ₺26.31

117.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.90

$1.08 ₺49.62

1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.64

$0.40 ₺18.36

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.54

$2.14 ₺98.6

42.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 101

$10.73 ₺494

-42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.06

$2.11 ₺97.3

-33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.34

$3.14 ₺145

-46.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.24

$0.63 ₺29.18

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 782

$9.40 ₺433

409.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.52

$0.91 ₺42.01

51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.20

$0.60 ₺27.85

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 71.2

$6.31 ₺290

-30.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.42

$1.23 ₺56.8

1.63%

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

$21.3K R 348.3K

$42.7K ₺2.0M

-50.00%

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

$24.5K R 399.1K

$42.9K ₺2.0M

-43.00%

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

$98.3 R 1,604

$84.6 ₺3,897

16.15%

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

$33.19 R 542

$10.99 ₺506

202.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 665

$14.09 ₺649

189.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 680

$55.5 ₺2,555

-24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$14.44 ₺665

-43.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$6.21 ₺286

5.48%

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

$211 R 3,450

$617 ₺28.4K

-65.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.5K

$13.9K ₺638.8K

-61.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 910

$58.7 ₺2,705

-5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 535

$43.93 ₺2,023

-25.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,877

$104 ₺4,800

10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,379

$96.3 ₺4,435

-12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.5K

$741 ₺34.1K

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,488

$515 ₺23.7K

1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.3K

$1,093 ₺50.3K

30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$702 ₺32.3K

44.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.2K

$1,700 ₺78.3K

37.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.6K

$1,162 ₺53.5K

29.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.5K

$1,076 ₺49.5K

56.46%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ankara: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $741 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 56% 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $38.00 in Ankara. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Cape Town vs $236 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 1% more than Ankara, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $1,899 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 $211 per month in Cape Town and $617 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% 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 $1,266, than in Cape Town at $1,273. 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 $1,266 versus $1,273 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.