Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Beit Shemesh

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $3,025 in Beit Shemesh, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
151

Cost of Living Index in Beit Shemesh
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Beit Shemesh Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Beit Shemesh

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Beit Shemesh

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $3,025 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Beit Shemesh $3,025

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $4,582 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Beit Shemesh $4,582

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $6,138 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Beit Shemesh $6,138

Cape Town is about 48% cheaper than Beit Shemesh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Beit Shemesh sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Beit Shemesh by 124%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$25.67 ₪79.9

-52.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$128 ₪397

-64.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$20.04 ₪62.3

-70.66%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$5.66 ₪17.61

-55.83%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$4.03 ₪12.53

-68.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$3.05 ₪9.49

-67.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$10.26 ₪31.92

-70.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$10.32 ₪32.12

-63.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$2.63 ₪8.20

-50.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$4.66 ₪14.48

-73.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$3.77 ₪11.73

-40.85%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$5.32 ₪16.54

-41.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$21.23 ₪66.0

-57.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$16.41 ₪51.0

-57.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$25.69 ₪79.9

-63.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$4.70 ₪14.63

-60.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$3.83 ₪11.90

-48.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.42 ₪7.52

-30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$3.50 ₪10.88

-38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.91 ₪5.93

-17.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.93 ₪6.01

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$2.69 ₪8.37

-51.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$2.61 ₪8.13

-56.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$14.44 ₪44.93

-75.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$16.15 ₪50.2

-61.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$3.71 ₪11.53

-62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$4.80 ₪14.94

-55.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.58 ₪8.01

-41.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$109 ₪338

-44.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$4.40 ₪13.68

-86.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.10 ₪3.41

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$19.72 ₪61.4

-74.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$2.39 ₪7.44

-35.15%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$57.0K ₪177.2K

-36.44%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$55.5K ₪172.6K

-43.67%

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

$114 R 1,883

$447 ₪1,391

-74.43%

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

$28.91 R 476

$11.54 ₪35.90

150.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$35.14 ₪109

13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$83.2 ₪259

-41.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$15.98 ₪49.70

-42.74%

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

$259 R 4,264

$1,679 ₪5,225

-84.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$31.5K ₪97.9K

-78.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$126 ₪393

-55.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$86.8 ₪270

-62.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$176 ₪546

-31.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$194 ₪603

-44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$1,323 ₪4,117

-22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$1,074 ₪3,342

-33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$2,521 ₪7,843

-27.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$1,864 ₪5,800

-28.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$8,109 ₪25.2K

-70.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$8,715 ₪27.1K

-82.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.03

118.09%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Beit Shemesh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Beit Shemesh

$1.1K 35.5% 49.8% $357

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Beit Shemesh

$518 17.1% 130% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Beit Shemesh

$494 16.3% 170% $311

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Beit Shemesh

$434 14.3% 146% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Beit Shemesh

$262 8.7% 83.6% $119

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Beit Shemesh

$129 4.3% 72.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Beit Shemesh

$115 3.8% 71.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $1,323 in Beit Shemesh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $128 in Beit Shemesh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $518 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇱 Beit Shemesh

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

124,445

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Beit Shemesh 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Beit Shemesh

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 Beit Shemesh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beit Shemesh is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $4,538 in Beit Shemesh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 130% more in Beit Shemesh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town and $128 in Beit Shemesh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,586, than in Beit Shemesh at $3,025. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beit Shemesh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beit Shemesh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.