Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Baie du Tombeau

For one person, living is cheaper in Baie du Tombeau: $633 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Baie du Tombeau
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Baie du Tombeau Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Baie du Tombeau

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Baie du Tombeau

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 Baie du Tombeau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town versus $633 in Baie du Tombeau.

Cape Town $1,568
Baie du Tombeau $633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,438 in Cape Town versus $1,054 in Baie du Tombeau.

Cape Town $2,438
Baie du Tombeau $1,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Cape Town versus $1,475 in Baie du Tombeau.

Cape Town $3,307
Baie du Tombeau $1,475

Living in Cape Town is roughly 148% more expensive than in Baie du Tombeau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Baie du Tombeau is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$4.28 MUR 202

175.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$31.01 MUR 1,467

50.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$6.29 MUR 298

-5.25%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.49 MUR 118

-0.80%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.06 MUR 50.3

25.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.82 MUR 38.60

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$1.92 MUR 90.8

56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$1.24 MUR 58.8

195.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.55 MUR 73.5

-10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.19 MUR 9.11

526.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$2.87 MUR 136

-26.48%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.51 MUR 119

19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$12.73 MUR 602

-29.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$7.50 MUR 355

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$10.52 MUR 498

-11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.06 MUR 97.3

-11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$2.17 MUR 103

-12.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$2.47 MUR 117

-29.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$1.67 MUR 79.0

25.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$1.02 MUR 48.42

51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.07 MUR 50.8

39.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.02 MUR 48.25

27.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.83 MUR 39.10

39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$6.34 MUR 300

-41.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$6.21 MUR 294

-2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.95 MUR 92.4

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$2.17 MUR 103

1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.61 MUR 28.71

147.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$27.83 MUR 1,317

119.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$2.12 MUR 100

-70.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$3.08 MUR 146

-50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$21.21 MUR 1,003

-77.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.37 MUR 64.9

15.33%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$31.4K MUR 1.5M

12.91%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$32.2K MUR 1.5M

-1.39%

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

$116 R 1,920

$21.47 MUR 1,016

442.06%

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

$28.37 R 468

$8.48 MUR 401

234.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$25.31 MUR 1,197

60.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$32.15 MUR 1,521

51.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$6.31 MUR 298

76.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$5.20 MUR 246

69.81%

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

$261 R 4,314

$63.4 MUR 3,001

312.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$2,076 MUR 98.2K

222.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$41.98 MUR 1,986

31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$32.04 MUR 1,516

0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$64.4 MUR 3,048

82.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$64.2 MUR 3,039

66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$105 MUR 4,952

869.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$63.5 MUR 3,004

1026.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$207 MUR 9,786

770.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$147 MUR 6,943

806.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$5,239 MUR 247.9K

-55.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$4,247 MUR 200.9K

-64.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$622 MUR 29.4K

163.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.12

79.25%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Baie du Tombeau: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Baie du Tombeau

$64 10% 91.1% $652

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Baie du Tombeau

$233 36.7% 5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Baie du Tombeau

$55 8.7% 70.2% $130

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Baie du Tombeau

$103 16.1% 40.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Baie du Tombeau

$91 14.3% 35.1% $49

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Baie du Tombeau

$48 7.5% 36.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Baie du Tombeau

$43 6.7% 36% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,015 in Cape Town and $105 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 163% 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: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $31.00 in Baie du Tombeau. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $233, with Cape Town cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇺 Baie du Tombeau

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

13:46 1:46 PM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

12,011

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 MUR = 2.11 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 47.31 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 53.01 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Baie du Tombeau 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Baie du Tombeau

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 Baie du Tombeau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baie du Tombeau is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 163% 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: $1,015 in Cape Town versus $105 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,568 per month in Cape Town versus $633 in Baie du Tombeau – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baie du Tombeau runs roughly 119% less than in Cape Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $633 in Baie du Tombeau versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baie du Tombeau but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Baie du Tombeau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baie du Tombeau is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Baie du Tombeau 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 Baie du Tombeau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.