Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ashkelon

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $2,394 in Ashkelon, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ashkelon
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Ashkelon Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Ashkelon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town versus $2,394 in Ashkelon.

Cape Town $1,586
Ashkelon $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,425 in Cape Town versus $3,551 in Ashkelon.

Cape Town $2,425
Ashkelon $3,551

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in Cape Town versus $4,708 in Ashkelon.

Cape Town $3,263
Ashkelon $4,708

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Town 17% above, Ashkelon 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$23.07 ₪71.8

-47.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$81.0 ₪252

-44.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$17.60 ₪54.8

-66.59%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$4.58 ₪14.25

-45.41%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$3.26 ₪10.15

-61.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$2.80 ₪8.71

-65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$12.10 ₪37.63

-75.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$7.69 ₪23.93

-51.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$2.35 ₪7.32

-44.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$2.68 ₪8.34

-53.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$3.01 ₪9.35

-25.91%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$4.57 ₪14.21

-31.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$21.56 ₪67.1

-57.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$12.94 ₪40.26

-46.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$25.38 ₪79.0

-63.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$4.13 ₪12.86

-55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$3.18 ₪9.91

-38.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.27 ₪7.05

-26.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$3.22 ₪10.03

-32.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.60 ₪4.99

-1.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.99 ₪6.20

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$2.66 ₪8.27

-51.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.94 ₪2.93

20.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$13.77 ₪42.84

-73.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$11.65 ₪36.23

-47.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$2.58 ₪8.02

-46.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.97 ₪6.12

8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.53 ₪7.88

-40.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$44.33 ₪138

37.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$11.17 ₪34.76

-94.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.67 ₪5.20

-10.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$39.23 ₪122

-86.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$2.64 ₪8.20

-41.29%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$57.8K ₪179.8K

-37.34%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$56.8K ₪176.7K

-45.00%

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

$114 R 1,883

$214 ₪667

-46.64%

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

$28.91 R 476

$11.73 ₪36.49

146.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$41.41 ₪129

-4.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$45.93 ₪143

6.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$32.25 ₪100

-65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$16.56 ₪51.5

-44.75%

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

$259 R 4,264

$1,220 ₪3,797

-78.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$107 ₪334

-47.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$75.6 ₪235

-57.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$113 ₪352

6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$146 ₪453

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$1,144 ₪3,560

-10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$961 ₪2,989

-25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$1,798 ₪5,595

1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$1,470 ₪4,575

-9.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$5,741 ₪17.9K

-58.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$5,602 ₪17.4K

-72.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$2,977 ₪9,263

-44.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.98

120.28%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ashkelon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Ashkelon

$961 40.1% 34% $244

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Ashkelon

$422 17.6% 87.6% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Ashkelon

$267 11.2% 46.1% $84

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Ashkelon

$392 16.4% 123% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Ashkelon

$199 8.3% 39.1% $56

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Ashkelon

$74 3.1% 1.1% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Ashkelon

$79 3.3% 17.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,021 in Cape Town and $1,144 in Ashkelon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashkelon pays 82% 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 $81.0 in Ashkelon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $422 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇱 Ashkelon

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

12:32 12:32 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

152,439

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Ashkelon 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ashkelon

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 Ashkelon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Ashkelon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cape Town the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Ashkelon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,021 in Cape Town versus $1,144 in Ashkelon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cape Town – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $81.0 in Ashkelon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,586 per month in Cape Town versus $2,394 in Ashkelon – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,586 in Cape Town versus $2,394 in Ashkelon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cape Town but tight or insufficient in Ashkelon. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cape Town delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,586 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cape Town hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Ashkelon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cape Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Ashkelon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.