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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,274 in Cape Town versus $1,041 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Cape Town versus $1,623 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,741 in Cape Town versus $2,204 in Bursa.

Living in Cape Town is roughly 22% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cape Town 5% lower, Bursa 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 R 176

$9.48 ₺426

13.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.67 R 736

$30.81 ₺1,385

44.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 81.0

$7.47 ₺336

-34.14%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.88

$2.74 ₺123

-27.01%

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

$1.10 R 18.09

$1.13 ₺50.7

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.51

$0.43 ₺19.22

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 R 46.32

$2.13 ₺95.8

31.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.34

$2.23 ₺100

15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.28

$0.93 ₺41.95

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.25

$0.78 ₺35.02

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.32

$1.95 ₺87.9

-5.64%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.67

$1.96 ₺88.0

26.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R 140

$9.45 ₺425

-10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.8

$5.81 ₺261

-8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 R 127

$18.94 ₺851

-59.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.02

$1.48 ₺66.7

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.43

$2.29 ₺103

-37.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

$1.29 ₺57.8

13.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.88

$1.56 ₺70.3

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.61

$0.74 ₺33.37

52.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.62

$0.46 ₺20.60

158.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.26

$0.89 ₺39.82

17.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.27

$0.28 ₺12.40

232.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.5

$2.22 ₺99.7

40.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 103

$11.04 ₺496

-43.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.28

$2.04 ₺91.6

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.54

$2.00 ₺89.7

-16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R 15.89

$1.69 ₺75.9

-43.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 789

$48.58 ₺2,184

-1.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 R 23.68

$0.87 ₺39.15

65.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.62

$0.62 ₺27.66

53.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 R 72.8

$8.93 ₺401

-50.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.21 ₺54.5

-1.65%

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

$21.4K R 352.7K

$41.4K ₺1.9M

-48.22%

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

$24.3K R 400.7K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-44.46%

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

$97.9 R 1,613

$56.0 ₺2,516

74.90%

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

$32.85 R 541

$9.80 ₺441

235.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.92 R 674

$11.65 ₺524

251.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 R 700

$56.6 ₺2,543

-24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.36 R 138

$37.76 ₺1,697

-77.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 R 109

$7.85 ₺353

-15.54%

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

$209 R 3,439

$375 ₺16.8K

-44.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,355 R 88.2K

$18.1K ₺812.3K

-70.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 R 894

$57.1 ₺2,566

-4.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 R 540

$43.62 ₺1,961

-24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,866

$99.9 ₺4,489

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 R 1,396

$81.8 ₺3,676

3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 R 12.6K

$437 ₺19.6K

74.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 R 8,553

$346 ₺15.5K

50.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 R 23.6K

$802 ₺36.0K

79.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 R 16.9K

$515 ₺23.1K

99.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,234 R 36.8K

$1,341 ₺60.3K

66.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,402 R 23.1K

$1,224 ₺55.0K

14.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 R 28.3K

$1,054 ₺47.4K

63.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

42.62

-72.38%

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

Last update for Cape Town: April 21, 2026

Last update for Bursa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Cape Town and $437 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 63% 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: $45 in Cape Town vs $31 in Bursa. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $227, with Cape Town cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cape Town pays 63% more on average, 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: $762 in Cape Town versus $437 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cape Town pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $45.00 in Cape Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Bursa versus $1,274 in Cape Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa 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 Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.