Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Blonduos

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $1,713 in Blonduos, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Blonduos despite lower rent and utilities.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Blonduos
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Blonduos Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Blonduos

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $1,713 in Blonduos, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Blonduos $1,713

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $2,921 in Blonduos, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Blonduos $2,921

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $4,129 in Blonduos, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Blonduos $4,129

Cape Town is about 7% cheaper than Blonduos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Blonduos sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Blonduos by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$31.14 ISK 3,777

-61.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$125 ISK 15.1K

-63.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$26.65 ISK 3,232

-77.94%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$6.71 ISK 814

-62.74%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$3.40 ISK 412

-62.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$3.03 ISK 368

-67.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$13.99 ISK 1,697

-78.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$12.33 ISK 1,495

-69.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$2.10 ISK 255

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$4.11 ISK 498

-69.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$3.54 ISK 430

-37.01%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$7.16 ISK 869

-56.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$22.11 ISK 2,682

-59.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$24.36 ISK 2,955

-71.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$41.27 ISK 5,006

-77.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$3.41 ISK 414

-46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.76 ISK 334

-28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$3.13 ISK 380

-46.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$6.38 ISK 773

-65.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$4.00 ISK 485

-60.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.64 ISK 198

-9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$3.79 ISK 460

-65.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$1.74 ISK 212

-35.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$14.05 ISK 1,704

-74.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$24.03 ISK 2,914

-74.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$3.71 ISK 450

-62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$3.50 ISK 424

-38.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$6.59 ISK 799

-91.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.77 ISK 335

-45.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$80.5 ISK 9,762

-93.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$2.00 ISK 243

-22.50%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-28.68%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$54.6K ISK 6.6M

-42.72%

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

$114 R 1,883

$94.7 ISK 11.5K

20.72%

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

$28.91 R 476

$33.32 ISK 4,042

-13.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$85.1 ISK 10.3K

-53.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$19.41 ISK 2,354

-52.86%

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

$259 R 4,264

$1,198 ISK 145.3K

-78.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$26.0K ISK 3.2M

-73.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$149 ISK 18.1K

-62.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$67.0 ISK 8,128

-51.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$183 ISK 22.2K

-34.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$246 ISK 29.9K

-56.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

8.81

24.52%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Blonduos: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Blonduos

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Blonduos

$620 36.2% 176% $395

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Blonduos

$213 12.4% 16.5% $30

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Blonduos

$530 30.9% 201% $354

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Blonduos

$291 17% 104% $148

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Blonduos

$20 * 1.2% 72.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Blonduos

$39 * 2.3% 42.3% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $125 in Blonduos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $620 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇸 Blonduos

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

03:17 3:17 AM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

900

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Blonduos 11,560 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Blonduos

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 Blonduos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Blonduos costs about 8% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $2,569 in Blonduos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town and $125 in Blonduos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 176% more in Blonduos, 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 Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,586, than in Blonduos at $1,713. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blonduos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,586 versus $1,713 in Blonduos. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Blonduos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.