Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Caldas da Rainha

For one person, living costs are similar in Cape Town and in Caldas da Rainha: $1,568 and $1,532 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Caldas da Rainha
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Caldas da Rainha Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Caldas da Rainha

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Caldas da Rainha $1,532

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $2,352 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Caldas da Rainha $2,352

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $3,172 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Caldas da Rainha $3,172

Cape Town costs about 2% more than Caldas da Rainha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Caldas da Rainha sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Caldas da Rainha by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$15.73 €14.03

-25.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$50.9 €45.38

-8.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$10.22 €9.12

-41.68%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.05 €1.83

20.49%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$2.36 €2.10

-43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$1.42 €1.26

-27.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$2.78 €2.48

8.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$3.87 €3.46

-5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.07 €0.95

29.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.44 €1.28

-17.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.56 €1.39

35.26%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$3.01 €2.69

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$10.38 €9.26

-13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$7.26 €6.48

-8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$12.81 €11.44

-27.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.87 €1.67

-2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.33 €1.18

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.68 €1.50

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$2.46 €2.19

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$1.92 €1.71

-19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.88 €1.68

-20.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.29 €1.15

0.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.84 €0.75

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$5.74 €5.12

-35.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$3.95 €3.53

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.64 €1.46

-15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.72 €1.54

27.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$3.67 €3.27

-58.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$34.14 €30.46

78.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$2.83 €2.53

-77.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.91 €1.71

-17.28%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$33.8K €30.2K

5.04%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$37.7K €33.7K

-15.86%

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

$116 R 1,920

$108 €96.0

8.20%

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

$28.37 R 468

$18.14 €16.19

56.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$38.70 €34.54

5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$48.88 €43.62

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$27.78 €24.79

-59.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$8.78 €7.84

0.57%

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

$261 R 4,314

$399 €356

-34.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$5,537 €4,941

21.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$95.8 €85.5

-42.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$42.87 €38.26

-24.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$112 €100

4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$68.4 €61.1

56.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$891 €795

13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$671 €599

6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$1,401 €1,251

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$1,122 €1,001

18.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$2,845 €2,539

-18.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$2,284 €2,038

-33.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$1,145 €1,022

42.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

3.11

252.73%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Caldas da Rainha

$671 43.4% 6.2% $45

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Caldas da Rainha

$230 14.9% 3.3% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Caldas da Rainha

$164 10.6% 11.3% $21

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Caldas da Rainha

$218 14.1% 25.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Caldas da Rainha

$144 9.3% 2.3% $3.2

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Caldas da Rainha

$52 * 3.3% 31.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Caldas da Rainha

$66 4.3% 0.1% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $891 in Caldas da Rainha. 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 43% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $230 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇹 Caldas da Rainha

🕒 Local time

12:37 12:37 PM

11:37 11:37 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

50,917

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Caldas da Rainha 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $2,298 in Caldas da Rainha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caldas da Rainha, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town and $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha. That's a gap of about 2%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caldas da Rainha, where all-in costs run around $1,532, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Caldas da Rainha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caldas da Rainha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Caldas da Rainha. 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.