Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bijelo Polje

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijelo Polje: $1,289 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Bijelo Polje
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Bijelo Polje Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,599

/mo nomad

Bijelo Polje

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Bijelo Polje

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

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Cape Town vs $1,289 in Bijelo Polje, rent included.

Cape Town $1,599
Bijelo Polje $1,289

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Cape Town vs $2,011 in Bijelo Polje, rent included.

Cape Town $2,460
Bijelo Polje $2,011

A family of three spends $3,320 per month in Cape Town vs $2,733 in Bijelo Polje, rent included.

Cape Town $3,320
Bijelo Polje $2,733

Cape Town costs about 24% more than Bijelo Polje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 18% above the global median, while Bijelo Polje is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

$11.02 €9.80

9.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

$36.35 €32.33

28.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

$9.06 €8.06

-31.57%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

$2.64 €2.34

-5.30%

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

$1.35 R 22.28

$2.48 €2.21

-45.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$1.58 €1.40

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

$2.85 €2.54

7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

$3.40 €3.03

7.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

$1.19 €1.06

9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

$0.97 €0.86

30.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

$2.89 €2.57

-24.91%

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

$3.07 €2.73

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

$9.14 €8.13

-1.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

$7.19 €6.40

-2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

$12.62 €11.22

-23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

$1.32 €1.18

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

$1.56 €1.39

23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

$1.56 €1.39

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

$2.99 €2.66

-27.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

$0.93 €0.83

63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$1.27 €1.13

22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

$1.52 €1.36

-13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

$0.89 €0.79

29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

$3.89 €3.46

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

$4.59 €4.08

30.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

$1.27 €1.13

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

$1.72 €1.53

23.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

$1.64 €1.46

-5.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

$38.93 €34.63

57.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

$1.15 €1.02

-47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

$1.14 €1.01

35.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

$16.71 €14.86

-70.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

$1.76 €1.56

-9.09%

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

$32.6K €29.0K

8.53%

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

$21.2K €18.8K

63.59%

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

$119 R 1,955

$132 €118

-10.32%

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

$29.42 R 485

$12.88 €11.46

128.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

$34.04 €30.28

16.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$46.82 €41.65

8.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

$14.36 €12.77

-23.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

$8.01 €7.13

12.23%

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

$261 R 4,303

$56.3 €50.1

363.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

$6,950 €6,182

0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

$84.9 €75.5

-33.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

$33.21 €29.54

0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

$72.3 €64.3

67.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

$95.8 €85.2

12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

$633 €563

62.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

$456 €406

57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

$1,292 €1,149

41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

$930 €827

46.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

$3,396 €3,021

-29.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

$2,291 €2,038

-34.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

$848 €754

94.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.45

101.28%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bijelo Polje: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Bijelo Polje

$456 35.4% 36.6% $263

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Bijelo Polje

$225 17.5% 0.6% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Bijelo Polje

$179 13.9% 4.6% $8.7

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Bijelo Polje

$184 14.3% 4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Bijelo Polje

$129 10% 10.2% $15

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Bijelo Polje

$52 4.1% 30.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Bijelo Polje

$63 4.9% 8.6% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Cape Town versus $633 in Bijelo Polje. 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 95% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $36.00 in Bijelo Polje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $225 – making Bijelo Polje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇪 Bijelo Polje

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

13,117

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Bijelo Polje 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Bijelo Polje

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 Bijelo Polje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,398 per month in Cape Town and $1,933 in Bijelo Polje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% more in Cape Town, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town and $36.00 in Bijelo Polje. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bijelo Polje, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Cape Town at $1,599. In Bijelo Polje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bijelo Polje – 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 Bijelo Polje. 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.