Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bloemfontein Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bloemfontein

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $962 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,461 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $1,960 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 32% more than Bloemfontein, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cape Town and Bloemfontein are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Bloemfontein 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$11.14 R 181

-1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 731

$37.74 R 613

19.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$6.61 R 107

-25.72%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.49

$1.83 R 29.73

9.29%

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

$1.10 R 17.94

$1.40 R 22.72

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.43

$0.95 R 15.41

-12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.56

$2.36 R 38.32

21.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.35

$2.21 R 35.87

12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.61

$1.00 R 16.18

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.59

$0.98 R 16.00

10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.38

$1.98 R 32.11

-5.56%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.11

$1.99 R 32.34

24.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 139

$6.99 R 114

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.5

$4.83 R 78.5

6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 124

$6.99 R 114

9.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.24

$1.66 R 27.03

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.26

$1.17 R 18.95

27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.46 R 23.67

2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.85

$1.33 R 21.68

19.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.54

$0.86 R 14.00

25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.16

$1.73 R 28.11

-28.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.83

$1.07 R 17.37

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.57

$0.91 R 14.79

5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.33

$2.54 R 41.32

19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 100

$4.89 R 79.4

26.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.97

$1.48 R 24.03

-4.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.23

$1.52 R 24.68

10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.17

$0.78 R 12.66

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 779

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.43

$1.10 R 17.92

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.14

$0.66 R 10.74

40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 70.9

$3.96 R 64.3

10.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.33

$1.29 R 20.88

-3.10%

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

$21.3K R 346.9K

$23.0K R 373.6K

-7.17%

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

$24.5K R 397.5K

$24.8K R 402.9K

-1.35%

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

$98.3 R 1,598

$75.3 R 1,224

30.48%

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

$33.19 R 539

$30.97 R 503

7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 662

$35.17 R 571

15.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 677

$29.07 R 472

43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$5.74 R 93.4

14.11%

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

$211 R 3,435

$124 R 2,017

70.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.1K

$4,264 R 69.3K

24.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 906

$56.3 R 915

-0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 533

$31.94 R 519

2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,869

$126 R 2,055

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,374

$91.7 R 1,491

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.4K

$294 R 4,779

160.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,453

$290 R 4,711

79.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.2K

$475 R 7,717

201.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$509 R 8,273

99.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.1K

$501 R 8,147

367.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.5K

$640 R 10.4K

135.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.4K

$1,338 R 21.7K

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.47

2.62%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bloemfontein: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $294 in Bloemfontein. 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 26% 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 $38.00 in Bloemfontein. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $171 – making Bloemfontein the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bloemfontein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 32% more than Bloemfontein, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $1,443 in Bloemfontein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town and $38.00 in Bloemfontein. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bloemfontein, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Cape Town at $1,273. In Bloemfontein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bloemfontein costs $962 versus $1,273 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. 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.