Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bandar Abbas

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Abbas: $573 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Abbas
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Bandar Abbas Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Bandar Abbas

🇮🇷 Iran

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Bandar Abbas

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $573 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Bandar Abbas $573

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $889 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Bandar Abbas $889

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,204 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Bandar Abbas $1,204

Cape Town costs about 177% more than Bandar Abbas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Bandar Abbas is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$3.01 $3.01

303.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$16.68 $16.68

171.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$4.09 $4.09

43.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.13 $1.13

121.24%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.48 $0.48

164.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$1.08 $1.08

-9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.70 $0.70

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.49 $0.49

155.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.09 $2.09

6.70%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.25 $1.25

148.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$4.37 $4.37

107.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.28 $3.28

110.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$10.10 $10.10

-7.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.01 $1.01

82.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.54 $1.54

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.87 $0.87

91.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.60 $0.60

261.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.55 $0.55

185.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.47 $0.47

214.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.57 $0.57

128.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.26 $0.26

334.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.85 $0.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.43 $2.43

48.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.17 $0.17

782.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$9.41 $9.41

545.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.41 $0.41

43.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.29 $0.29

417.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$2.64 $2.64

93.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.09 $0.09

1622.22%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$56.9K $56.9K

-36.36%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$45.2K $45.2K

-30.88%

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

$114 R 1,883

$13.18 $13.18

767.37%

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

$28.91 R 476

$1.62 $1.62

1684.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$3.68 $3.68

979.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$18.57 $18.57

163.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$13.19 $13.19

-16.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$1.95 $1.95

369.23%

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

$259 R 4,264

$106 $106

144.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$2,365 $2,365

187.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$22.39 $22.39

150.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$28.50 $28.50

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$95.7 $95.7

25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$72.7 $72.7

48.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$340 $340

200.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$251 $251

185.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$793 $793

130.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$409 $409

224.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,018 $1,018

134.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$545 $545

183.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$178 $178

819.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

24.3

-54.86%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bandar Abbas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Bandar Abbas

$251 43.9% 64.9% $466

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Bandar Abbas

$114 19.9% 49.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Bandar Abbas

$18 3.2% 89.9% $164

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Bandar Abbas

$56 9.8% 68.1% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Bandar Abbas

$99 17.2% 30.9% $44

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Bandar Abbas

$12 2.1% 84% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Bandar Abbas

$22 3.9% 66.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $340 in Bandar Abbas. 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 819% 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $17.00 in Bandar Abbas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $114 – making Bandar Abbas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇷 Bandar Abbas

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

02:30 2:30 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

526,648

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Bandar Abbas 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Bandar Abbas

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 Bandar Abbas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 177%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $859 in Bandar Abbas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $573 in Bandar Abbas. That's a gap of about 177%.

Public transport costs about 546% less in Bandar Abbas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bandar Abbas, where all-in costs run around $573, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Bandar Abbas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bandar Abbas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bandar Abbas. 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.