Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Brasov

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,314 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town versus $1,314 in Brasov.

Cape Town $1,568
Brasov $1,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,438 in Cape Town versus $2,128 in Brasov.

Cape Town $2,438
Brasov $2,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Cape Town versus $2,943 in Brasov.

Cape Town $3,307
Brasov $2,943

Living in Cape Town is roughly 19% more expensive than in Brasov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Brasov is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$11.01 RON 52.1

6.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$51.8 RON 245

-10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$7.53 RON 35.61

-20.85%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$3.70 RON 17.48

-33.24%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$2.36 RON 11.15

-43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$2.13 RON 10.10

-51.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$3.19 RON 15.07

-5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$3.31 RON 15.64

10.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.57 RON 7.43

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.43 RON 6.78

-16.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.77 RON 8.39

19.21%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$3.51 RON 16.58

-14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$8.78 RON 41.51

2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.87 RON 32.48

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$12.79 RON 60.5

-27.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.46 RON 6.91

25.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.51 RON 7.14

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.66 RON 7.85

5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$2.75 RON 13.01

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.77 RON 3.62

101.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.92 RON 4.35

61.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.89 RON 4.19

46.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.76 RON 3.58

52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$6.03 RON 28.52

-38.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$7.49 RON 35.42

-19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.24 RON 5.89

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.80 RON 8.53

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.08 RON 5.11

39.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$23.54 RON 111

158.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$0.66 RON 3.13

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.62 RON 2.95

146.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$6.47 RON 30.60

-25.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.85 RON 8.73

-14.59%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$28.8K RON 136.4K

23.14%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$26.2K RON 123.7K

21.38%

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

$116 R 1,920

$179 RON 846

-34.92%

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

$28.37 R 468

$7.87 RON 37.24

260.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$8.98 RON 42.50

353.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$57.5 RON 272

-15.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$13.43 RON 63.5

-17.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$9.57 RON 45.25

-7.73%

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

$261 R 4,314

$446 RON 2,111

-41.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$6,960 RON 32.9K

-3.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$51.2 RON 242

8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$35.07 RON 166

-7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$75.0 RON 355

56.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$90.9 RON 430

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$694 RON 3,284

46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$468 RON 2,216

52.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$1,297 RON 6,135

38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$1,066 RON 5,042

24.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$3,104 RON 14.7K

-24.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$2,401 RON 11.4K

-36.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$1,097 RON 5,187

49.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

7.2

52.36%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Brasov: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Brasov

$468 35.8% 34.5% $247

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Brasov

$229 17.4% 2.7% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Brasov

$196 14.9% 5.5% $10

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Brasov

$196 14.9% 12.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Brasov

$113 8.7% 19.3% $27

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Brasov

$32 2.4% 58% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Brasov

$77 5.9% 15.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,015 in Cape Town and $694 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $52.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $229 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇷🇴 Brasov

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

253,200

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Brasov 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Brasov

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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Brasov differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,568 vs $1,314 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Cape Town, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,015 in Cape Town versus $694 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $47.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,568 per month in Cape Town versus $1,314 in Brasov – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,314 in Brasov versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Brasov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.