Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Arar

For one person, living is cheaper in Arar: $1,185 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Arar
Learn more

Arar Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Arar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $1,185 in Arar, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Arar $1,185

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,758 in Arar, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Arar $1,758

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $2,330 in Arar, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Arar $2,330

Cape Town costs about 34% more than Arar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Arar is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$6.20 SAR 23.25

95.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$37.34 SAR 140

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$7.78 SAR 29.18

-24.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$3.16 SAR 11.88

-20.89%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.86 SAR 3.24

47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.26 SAR 0.98

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.31 SAR 4.92

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.24 SAR 8.41

-0.45%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$2.43 SAR 9.13

27.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$7.61 SAR 28.54

19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$7.97 SAR 29.91

-13.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$12.96 SAR 48.62

-28.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.25 SAR 8.46

-18.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.67 SAR 6.27

17.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.59 SAR 5.97

5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$1.64 SAR 6.14

32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.23 SAR 4.62

27.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.32 SAR 4.97

12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.22 SAR 4.58

6.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.55 SAR 2.06

105.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$6.50 SAR 24.38

-44.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.04 SAR 3.91

44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$36.99 SAR 139

64.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$2.70 SAR 10.13

-78.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$13.26 SAR 49.76

-61.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.64 SAR 2.40

142.19%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$43.8K SAR 164.5K

-17.43%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

46.39%

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

$114 R 1,883

$102 SAR 384

11.86%

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

$28.91 R 476

$32.69 SAR 123

-11.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$67.5 SAR 253

-41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$81.8 SAR 307

-40.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$13.21 SAR 49.58

-30.73%

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

$259 R 4,264

$421 SAR 1,579

-38.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$8,110 SAR 30.4K

-16.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$41.56 SAR 156

35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$53.8 SAR 202

-39.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$96.2 SAR 361

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$86.4 SAR 324

25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$587 SAR 2,202

73.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$377 SAR 1,416

89.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$826 SAR 3,100

120.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$574 SAR 2,155

131.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$2,369 SAR 8,891

0.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$1,355 SAR 5,084

13.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.54

98.01%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Arar

$377 31.8% 47.4% $340

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Arar

$204 17.2% 9.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Arar

$202 17.1% 10.6% $19

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Arar

$115 9.7% 34.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Arar

$125 10.6% 12.4% $18

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Arar

$53 4.5% 29% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Arar

$108 9.1% 60.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $587 in Arar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $37.00 in Arar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $204 – making Arar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇦 Arar

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

167,057

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Arar 7,600 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Arar

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 Arar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town, $1,185 in Arar – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,778 in Arar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 64% less in Arar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $421 in Arar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arar, where all-in costs run around $1,185, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Arar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Arar to $1,586 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Arar. 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.