Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Behbahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Behbahan: $527 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Behbahan
Learn more

Behbahan Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,599

/mo nomad

Behbahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Cape Town versus $527 in Behbahan.

Cape Town $1,599
Behbahan $527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,460 in Cape Town versus $822 in Behbahan.

Cape Town $2,460
Behbahan $822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,320 in Cape Town versus $1,117 in Behbahan.

Cape Town $3,320
Behbahan $1,117

Living in Cape Town is roughly 204% more expensive than in Behbahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 18% above, Behbahan is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

$4.48 $4.48

169.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

$12.87 $12.87

262.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

$4.07 $4.07

52.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

$1.17 $1.17

113.68%

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

$1.35 R 22.28

$0.62 $0.62

117.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$1.02 $1.02

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

$0.71 $0.71

83.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

$0.41 $0.41

209.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

$1.98 $1.98

9.60%

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

$1.22 $1.22

153.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

$2.21 $2.21

306.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

$2.24 $2.24

212.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

$9.83 $9.83

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

$1.10 $1.10

70.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

$1.55 $1.55

24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

$0.88 $0.88

101.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

$0.60 $0.60

263.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

$0.59 $0.59

157.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$0.56 $0.56

178.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

$0.47 $0.47

180.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

$0.18 $0.18

538.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 $0.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.93 $2.93

26.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

$0.17 $0.17

811.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

$9.49 $9.49

545.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

$0.38 $0.38

57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

$0.20 $0.20

670.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

$3.58 $3.58

39.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

$0.09 $0.09

1677.78%

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

$65.3K $65.3K

-45.76%

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

$53.0K $53.0K

-34.62%

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

$119 R 1,955

$23.68 $23.68

400.97%

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

$29.42 R 485

$2.06 $2.06

1328.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

$3.71 $3.71

973.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$18.50 $18.50

174.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

$13.37 $13.37

-18.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

$1.97 $1.97

356.35%

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

$261 R 4,303

$105 $105

148.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

$2,378 $2,378

192.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

$22.94 $22.94

144.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

$18.29 $18.29

81.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

$96.8 $96.8

25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

$53.9 $53.9

100.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

$290 $290

254.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

$209 $209

245.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

$805 $805

128.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

$362 $362

276.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

$1,163 $1,163

106.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

$540 $540

178.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Behbahan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Behbahan

$209 39.6% 71% $511

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Behbahan

$100 18.9% 56% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Behbahan

$29 5.6% 84.3% $158

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Behbahan

$69 13% 61.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Behbahan

$86 16.4% 39.8% $57

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Behbahan

$12 2.2% 84.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Behbahan

$22 4.3% 67.4% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Cape Town and $290 in Behbahan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $13.00 in Behbahan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $100 per month, with Behbahan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇷 Behbahan

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

122,604

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Behbahan 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Behbahan

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 Behbahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Behbahan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 204% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,398 in Cape Town and $790 in Behbahan 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Cape Town versus $290 in Behbahan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Cape Town versus $527 in Behbahan – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Behbahan runs roughly 546% less than in Cape Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $527 in Behbahan versus $1,599 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Behbahan but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Behbahan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Behbahan 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.

Expats usually find Behbahan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.