Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Astrakhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Astrakhan: $146 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Astrakhan
Learn more

Astrakhan Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Astrakhan

🇷🇺 Russia

$146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town versus $146 in Astrakhan.

Cape Town $1,568
Astrakhan $146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,438 in Cape Town versus $326 in Astrakhan.

Cape Town $2,438
Astrakhan $326

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Cape Town versus $506 in Astrakhan.

Cape Town $3,307
Astrakhan $506

Living in Cape Town is roughly 972% more expensive than in Astrakhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Astrakhan is 89% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$8.35 ₽711

41.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$41.20 ₽3,506

12.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$5.28 ₽449

12.88%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.63 ₽224

-6.08%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.37 ₽117

-2.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.80 ₽67.9

28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$2.87 ₽244

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$4.49 ₽382

-18.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$0.83 ₽70.5

90.36%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

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

$28.37 R 468

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-42.26%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Astrakhan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Astrakhan

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Astrakhan

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Astrakhan

$146 100% 15.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Astrakhan

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Astrakhan

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Astrakhan

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $41.00 in Astrakhan for two.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇷🇺 Astrakhan

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

14:28 2:28 PM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

524,371

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Astrakhan 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Astrakhan

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 Astrakhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Astrakhan differ by about 972% in total monthly costs ($1,568 vs $146 including rent). Astrakhan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,352 in Cape Town and $219 in Astrakhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Astrakhan – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $47.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,568 per month in Cape Town versus $146 in Astrakhan – a 972% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $146 in Astrakhan versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Astrakhan but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Astrakhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Astrakhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 972% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.