Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Calp

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,842 in Calp, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town, South Africa
Calp, Spain
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Calp
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,842
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,842 in Calp, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Calp $1,842

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,701 in Calp, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Calp $2,701

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,561 in Calp, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Calp $3,561

Cape Town is about 17% cheaper than Calp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Calp sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Calp by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 198
$16.56 €14.75
-27.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 707
$55.0 €48.97
-21.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$13.02 €11.59
-52.76%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.04
$2.37 €2.11
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$2.33 €2.07
-45.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.46
$1.22 €1.09
-22.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.77
$3.84 €3.42
-22.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.8
$3.55 €3.16
3.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.73
$1.13 €1.00
16.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.87
$1.66 €1.48
-27.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.26
$1.43 €1.27
53.85%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.1
$3.45 €3.07
-10.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$14.40 €12.83
-39.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$8.06 €7.18
-14.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$14.82 €13.20
-37.52%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.08
$2.02 €1.80
-9.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.12
$1.97 €1.75
-1.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.32
$1.96 €1.74
-15.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.19
$2.41 €2.14
-11.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.01
$1.73 €1.54
-8.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.29
$1.91 €1.70
-23.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.18
$1.05 €0.94
28.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.85
$0.57 €0.51
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.0
$5.86 €5.22
-38.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.7
$5.73 €5.11
5.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.95
$0.82 €0.73
69.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.90
$0.97 €0.86
124.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.02
$1.61 €1.44
-13.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$35.33 €31.46
71.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.26
$3.60 €3.20
-74.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.83
$1.28 €1.14
-29.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.7
$27.32 €24.32
-81.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.37
$1.81 €1.61
-14.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.8K
$35.4K €31.5K
-0.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 549.9K
$29.3K €26.0K
14.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,929
$117 €104
0.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 424
$14.20 €12.65
81.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 649
$25.44 €22.65
54.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 850
$44.73 €39.83
15.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 187
$17.65 €15.72
-35.69%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$8.41 €7.49
5.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,069
$567 €505
-45.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.2K
$10.2K €9,089
-20.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 946
$64.6 €57.5
-11.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 523
$21.12 €18.80
50.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,911
$113 €100
2.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,660
$157 €140
-35.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.2K
$891 €793
17.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$917 €817
-27.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.7K
$1,594 €1,419
16.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.2K
$1,416 €1,261
-0.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.7K
$3,283 €2,923
-26.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$2,202 €1,961
-28.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Calp
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
3.3
230.00%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Calp: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Calp
$917 37.1% $248
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Calp
$255 14.1% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Calp
$157 14% $26
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Calp
$240 38.2% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Calp
$160 16.1% $22
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Calp
$52 27.8% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Calp
$62 11.3% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $891 in Calp. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $55 in Calp. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $255 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇪🇸 Calp
🕒 Local time
05:05 5:05 AM
04:05 4:05 AM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
25,854
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Calp 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Calp

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 Calp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cape Town and in Calp compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,527 in Cape Town, $1,842 in Calp – Cape Town comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Cape Town compared to Calp?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,763 in Calp. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cape Town and Calp?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calp, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $891 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Calp, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town and $55 in Calp. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,842 in Calp. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Cape Town and Calp?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,842 in Calp. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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