Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Antrim

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $2,399 in Antrim, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Antrim
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town versus $2,399 in Antrim.

  • Cape Town $1,586
  • Antrim $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,425 in Cape Town versus $3,581 in Antrim.

  • Cape Town $2,425
  • Antrim $3,581

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in Cape Town versus $4,764 in Antrim.

  • Cape Town $3,263
  • Antrim $4,764

Living in Cape Town costs roughly 34% less than in Antrim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Town 17% above, Antrim 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.14 R 200
$24.19 £18.15
-49.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.34 R 747
$92.8 £69.7
-51.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 R 96.9
$10.54 £7.91
-44.21%
Cappuccino
$2.50 R 41.18
$4.87 £3.65
-48.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.94
$2.49 £1.87
-49.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 R 16.14
$1.98 £1.49
-50.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 R 49.33
$7.70 £5.78
-61.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 R 61.4
$7.77 £5.83
-52.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 R 21.40
$1.76 £1.32
-26.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 R 20.68
$2.31 £1.73
-45.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 R 36.76
$2.22 £1.66
0.45%
Eggs
$3.11 R 51.2
$4.77 £3.58
-34.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 R 149
$10.70 £8.02
-15.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.92 R 114
$10.66 £8.00
-35.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.30 R 153
$15.85 £11.89
-41.32%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 R 30.25
$2.97 £2.23
-38.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 R 32.29
$2.03 £1.52
-3.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.45
$3.37 £2.53
-50.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 R 35.70
$4.02 £3.02
-46.02%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 R 25.81
$2.34 £1.75
-32.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 R 24.45
$1.59 £1.19
-6.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.41
$1.38 £1.04
-5.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 R 18.60
$1.84 £1.38
-38.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.60 R 59.3
$23.69 £17.78
-84.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.15 R 101
$12.07 £9.06
-49.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 R 22.66
$3.09 £2.32
-55.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 R 35.20
$3.22 £2.42
-33.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 R 24.65
$7.05 £5.29
-78.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$97.3 £73.0
-37.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.59 R 9.71
$4.68 £3.51
-87.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 R 24.65
$1.81 £1.36
-17.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.11 R 84.2
$28.75 £21.57
-82.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 R 25.50
$2.04 £1.53
-24.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K R 596.5K
$38.2K £28.7K
-5.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K R 514.8K
$40.4K £30.3K
-22.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 R 1,883
$273 £204
-58.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.91 R 476
$16.75 £12.57
72.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.73 R 654
$46.41 £34.82
-14.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.01 R 808
$33.38 £25.05
46.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.99 R 181
$9.28 £6.96
18.43%
Cinema Ticket
$9.15 R 151
$14.71 £11.03
-37.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$259 R 4,264
$1,416 £1,062
-81.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,794 R 111.9K
$18.0K £13.5K
-62.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.2 R 926
$82.3 £61.8
-31.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.41 R 534
$46.38 £34.80
-30.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 R 1,987
$109 £81.5
11.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 R 1,781
$102 £76.3
6.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 R 16.8K
$1,217 £913
-16.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 R 11.8K
$1,007 £756
-28.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,824 R 30.1K
$2,106 £1,580
-13.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 R 21.9K
$1,661 £1,246
-20.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,391 R 39.4K
$5,032 £3,775
-52.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 R 25.4K
$3,856 £2,893
-60.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Antrim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,639 R 27.0K
$2,952 £2,215
-44.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
4.91
123.42%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Antrim: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$717
Antrim
$1K 40.5% $290
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$225
Antrim
$346 53.8% $121
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$183
Antrim
$336 83.5% $153
Eating Out
Cape Town
$176
Antrim
$356 102% $179
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$143
Antrim
$153 6.8% $9.8
Getting Around
Cape Town
$75
Antrim
$139 86.1% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$67
Antrim
$63 6.7% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,021 in Cape Town and $1,217 in Antrim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antrim pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Cape Town vs $93.0 in Antrim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $346 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇬🇧 Antrim
🕒 Local time
21:32 9:32 PM
20:32 8:32 PM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
20,001
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Antrim 10,130 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Antrim

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 Antrim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Antrim cheaper than Cape Town?
Cape Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cape Town or Antrim?
On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Antrim. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cape Town and Antrim?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,021 in Cape Town versus $1,217 in Antrim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cape Town and in Antrim?
All in, you'll spend $1,586 per month in Cape Town versus $2,399 in Antrim – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cape Town runs roughly 60% less than in Antrim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Cape Town or in Antrim?
At $1,586 in Cape Town versus $2,399 in Antrim, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cape Town but tight or insufficient in Antrim. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cape Town or Antrim more family-friendly?
For families, Cape Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Antrim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cape Town or Antrim?
Safety-wise, Cape Town and Antrim are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cape Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Antrim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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