Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Badajoz

For one person, living is cheaper in Badajoz: $1,337 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Badajoz
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Badajoz Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Badajoz

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,527 in Cape Town versus $1,337 in Badajoz.

Cape Town $1,527
Badajoz $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,417 in Cape Town versus $1,987 in Badajoz.

Cape Town $2,417
Badajoz $1,987

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Cape Town versus $2,637 in Badajoz.

Cape Town $3,306
Badajoz $2,637

Living in Cape Town is roughly 14% more expensive than in Badajoz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$14.32 €12.75

-16.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$49.73 €44.30

-13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$11.11 €9.90

-44.64%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$2.03 €1.81

16.75%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$2.77 €2.46

-54.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$1.78 €1.58

-47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$3.12 €2.78

-5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$4.55 €4.05

-18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$1.11 €0.99

18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$1.30 €1.16

-6.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$1.54 €1.37

42.86%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$2.80 €2.49

10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$14.49 €12.91

-39.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$8.26 €7.35

-16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$12.27 €10.93

-24.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$2.22 €1.98

-17.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.71 €2.41

-28.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$2.14 €1.91

-22.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$2.48 €2.21

-13.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$1.88 €1.67

-15.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$1.81 €1.61

-18.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$0.89 €0.79

51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$0.58 €0.52

96.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$5.76 €5.13

-37.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$6.64 €5.91

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$1.70 €1.52

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$2.39 €2.13

-8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$1.32 €1.17

6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$25.04 €22.30

142.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$2.86 €2.55

-67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.38 €1.23

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$21.05 €18.75

-76.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$1.69 €1.51

-8.88%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$26.1K €23.2K

35.71%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$27.3K €24.3K

22.35%

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

$117 R 1,918

$130 €116

-9.76%

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

$25.71 R 421

$18.61 €16.58

38.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$32.93 €29.34

19.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$40.72 €36.27

26.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$4.50 €4.01

152.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$8.22 €7.32

8.15%

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

$308 R 5,040

$360 €321

-14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$6,053 €5,392

34.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$99.2 €88.4

-42.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$30.84 €27.47

2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$56.3 €50.1

106.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$70.4 €62.7

43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$581 €518

80.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$470 €419

42.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$853 €760

118.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$690 €615

103.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$1,759 €1,567

37.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$1,404 €1,250

11.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$1,532 €1,365

6.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

2.77

293.14%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Badajoz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Badajoz

$470 35.2% 29.7% $199

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Badajoz

$258 19.3% 15.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Badajoz

$181 13.6% 0.5% $0.9

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Badajoz

$215 16.1% 23.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Badajoz

$116 8.6% 16.1% $22

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Badajoz

$40 3% 44.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Badajoz

$57 4.3% 17.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Cape Town and $581 in Badajoz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 6% 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: $43 in Cape Town vs $50 in Badajoz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $258 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇪🇸 Badajoz

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

150,190

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Badajoz 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Badajoz

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 Badajoz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badajoz is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Cape Town, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,047 in Cape Town versus $581 in Badajoz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,527 per month in Cape Town versus $1,337 in Badajoz – Badajoz is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Badajoz runs roughly 59% less than in Cape Town. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,337 in Badajoz versus $1,527 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badajoz but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Badajoz 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.

It comes down to priorities – Badajoz wins on affordability, Cape Town on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.