Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Asker

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,826 in Asker, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Asker
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Asker Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Asker

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,826 in Asker, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Asker $2,826

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $4,015 in Asker, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Asker $4,015

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $5,204 in Asker, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Asker $5,204

Cape Town is about 46% cheaper than Asker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Asker sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Asker by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$21.81 NOK 202

-44.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$64.9 NOK 602

-33.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$12.77 NOK 118

-51.84%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$5.90 NOK 54.7

-59.83%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$3.00 NOK 27.87

-57.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$1.94 NOK 18.01

-51.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$11.77 NOK 109

-74.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$11.85 NOK 110

-68.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$2.25 NOK 20.90

-41.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$3.48 NOK 32.33

-65.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$3.87 NOK 35.91

-43.15%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$3.66 NOK 33.93

-15.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$3.67 NOK 34.09

137.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$11.72 NOK 109

-41.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$8.36 NOK 77.6

10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.48 NOK 32.28

-47.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.67 NOK 24.74

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$3.49 NOK 32.41

-52.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$4.62 NOK 42.91

-53.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$2.79 NOK 25.85

-43.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$2.87 NOK 26.67

-48.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$1.57 NOK 14.59

-14.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$2.13 NOK 19.76

-46.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$19.57 NOK 182

-81.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$16.99 NOK 158

-64.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$3.62 NOK 33.60

-61.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$4.48 NOK 41.57

-51.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$4.83 NOK 44.84

-71.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$81.4 NOK 755

-25.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$12.30 NOK 114

-92.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.84 NOK 17.10

-51.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$72.5 NOK 672

-93.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.25 NOK 20.91

-31.56%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$49.5K NOK 458.9K

-28.49%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$45.3K NOK 420.8K

-26.41%

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

$117 R 1,918

$427 NOK 3,967

-72.61%

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

$25.71 R 421

$31.87 NOK 296

-19.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$31.74 NOK 295

24.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$49.47 NOK 459

4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$37.12 NOK 344

-69.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$16.20 NOK 150

-45.12%

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

$308 R 5,040

$244 NOK 2,265

26.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$16.1K NOK 149.5K

-49.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$103 NOK 956

-44.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$61.1 NOK 567

-48.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$138 NOK 1,284

-16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$161 NOK 1,492

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$1,522 NOK 14.1K

-31.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$1,176 NOK 10.9K

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$2,207 NOK 20.5K

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,866 NOK 17.3K

-24.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$6,433 NOK 59.7K

-62.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$4,211 NOK 39.1K

-62.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$3,958 NOK 36.7K

-58.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.87

181.40%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Asker: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Asker

$1.2K 41.6% 75.8% $507

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Asker

$360 12.7% 61.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Asker

$491 17.4% 170% $309

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Asker

$386 13.7% 122% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Asker

$209 7.4% 51.5% $71

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Asker

$122 4.3% 70.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Asker

$82 2.9% 18% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,522 in Asker. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Asker are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $65 in Asker. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $360 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Asker

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

99,214

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Asker 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Asker

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 Asker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asker costs about 85% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $4,238 in Asker. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,522 in Asker.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $244 in Asker. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Asker, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,826 in Asker. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,826 in Asker. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.