Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bungoma

For one person, living is cheaper in Bungoma: $141 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Bungoma

🇰🇪 Kenya

$141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,586 in Cape Town versus $141 in Bungoma.

Cape Town $1,586
Bungoma $141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,425 in Cape Town versus $286 in Bungoma.

Cape Town $2,425
Bungoma $286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in Cape Town versus $431 in Bungoma.

Cape Town $3,263
Bungoma $431

Living in Cape Town is roughly 1023% more expensive than in Bungoma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Bungoma is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$5.40 KES 700

-53.70%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$1.51 KES 195

98.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$1.67 KES 216

122.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.21 KES 157

157.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$3.02 KES 392

-39.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$0.95 KES 123

106.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.51 KES 196

-8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.72 KES 222

24.42%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.38 KES 179

12.32%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

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

$114 R 1,883

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

$28.91 R 476

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$28.90 KES 3,747

37.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

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

$168 KES 21.8K

687.74%

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

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bungoma: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Bungoma

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Bungoma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Bungoma

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Bungoma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Bungoma

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Bungoma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Bungoma

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇪 Bungoma

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

60,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Bungoma 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Bungoma

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 Bungoma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bungoma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1023% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,379 in Cape Town and $212 in Bungoma to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 514% higher in Cape Town. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,586 per month in Cape Town versus $141 in Bungoma – a 1023% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $141 in Bungoma versus $1,586 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bungoma but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Bungoma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bungoma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cape Town and Bungoma 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 Bungoma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1023% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.