Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Atyrau

For one person, living is cheaper in Atyrau: $996 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Atyrau
Learn more

Atyrau Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Atyrau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $996 in Atyrau, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Atyrau $996

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,658 in Atyrau, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Atyrau $1,658

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $2,320 in Atyrau, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Atyrau $2,320

Cape Town costs about 57% more than Atyrau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Atyrau is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$9.56 ₸4,335

23.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$36.66 ₸16.6K

26.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$7.40 ₸3,355

-19.46%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.20 ₸998

12.27%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.13 ₸514

17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.78 ₸353

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$1.60 ₸726

88.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$2.12 ₸961

72.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.65 ₸749

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.44 ₸199

170.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.99 ₸903

6.03%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$1.53 ₸696

96.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$10.89 ₸4,938

-17.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$8.68 ₸3,937

-23.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$7.82 ₸3,546

18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.79 ₸810

2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$2.60 ₸1,180

-26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$2.21 ₸1,003

-20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$1.79 ₸814

16.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.62 ₸282

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.41 ₸187

263.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.29 ₸585

0.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.90 ₸408

28.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$2.34 ₸1,062

58.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$9.14 ₸4,143

-33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.31 ₸595

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.38 ₸627

59.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.34 ₸155

344.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$21.63 ₸9,807

181.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$1.52 ₸688

-58.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.71 ₸323

115.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$6.42 ₸2,913

-25.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$0.62 ₸283

154.84%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$17.3K ₸7.9M

104.93%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$29.5K ₸13.4M

7.75%

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

$116 R 1,920

$52.8 ₸23.9K

120.58%

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

$28.37 R 468

$10.92 ₸4,951

159.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$14.03 ₸6,360

190.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$63.9 ₸29.0K

-23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$9.67 ₸4,384

15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$6.28 ₸2,846

40.61%

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

$261 R 4,314

$285 ₸129.1K

-8.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$3,471 ₸1.6M

93.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$33.19 ₸15.0K

66.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$43.44 ₸19.7K

-25.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$86.1 ₸39.0K

36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$86.5 ₸39.2K

23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$504 ₸228.6K

101.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$334 ₸151.3K

114.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$1,121 ₸508.4K

60.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$775 ₸351.5K

71.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$941 ₸426.8K

147.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$741 ₸335.9K

104.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$715 ₸324.2K

128.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-63.43%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Atyrau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Atyrau

$334 33.5% 53.4% $382

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Atyrau

$223 22.4% 0.4% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Atyrau

$78 7.8% 58.1% $108

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Atyrau

$145 14.6% 16.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Atyrau

$112 11.3% 20.2% $28

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Atyrau

$28 2.8% 62.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Atyrau

$76 7.7% 14.9% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $504 in Atyrau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 129% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $37.00 in Atyrau. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Cape Town vs $223 in Atyrau – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇿 Atyrau

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

19:13 7:13 PM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

323,295

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Atyrau 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Atyrau

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 Atyrau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town, $996 in Atyrau – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,495 in Atyrau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $261 per month in Cape Town and $285 in Atyrau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Atyrau, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Atyrau 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 $996 in Atyrau to $1,568 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 Atyrau. 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.