Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Cape Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Coast: $1,261 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Cape Coast
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Cape Coast Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Cape Coast

🇬🇭 Ghana

$1,261

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $1,261 in Cape Coast, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Cape Coast $1,261

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,989 in Cape Coast, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Cape Coast $1,989

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $2,716 in Cape Coast, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Cape Coast $2,716

Cape Town costs about 26% more than Cape Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Cape Coast is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 201

$8.15 GHS 94.6

48.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 749

$51.9 GHS 602

-12.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 97.2

$10.18 GHS 118

-42.24%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.29

$4.45 GHS 51.6

-43.82%

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

$1.27 R 21.00

$1.57 GHS 18.22

-19.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.19

$0.45 GHS 5.18

117.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.47

$1.84 GHS 21.34

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.5

$2.20 GHS 25.49

69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.46

$3.64 GHS 42.24

-64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.73

$1.67 GHS 19.42

-25.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.87

$3.07 GHS 35.60

-27.36%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.4

$2.55 GHS 29.60

21.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 150

$12.01 GHS 139

-24.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$7.04 GHS 81.6

-1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 154

$9.76 GHS 113

-4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.34

$3.57 GHS 41.38

-48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.38

$1.38 GHS 16.06

42.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.52

$1.76 GHS 20.47

-5.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.80

$3.63 GHS 42.15

-40.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.89

$2.77 GHS 32.14

-43.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.52

$2.74 GHS 31.73

-45.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.47

$0.69 GHS 8.04

88.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.66

$0.60 GHS 6.98

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.5

$2.50 GHS 29.06

44.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 102

$7.32 GHS 84.9

-15.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.72

$1.28 GHS 14.82

7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.30

$2.38 GHS 27.64

-10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,004

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.74

$1.73 GHS 20.01

-65.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.72

$1.25 GHS 14.46

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.4

$4.26 GHS 49.42

19.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.57

$1.29 GHS 14.94

20.16%

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

$36.2K R 598.2K

$7,862 GHS 91.2K

360.51%

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

$31.2K R 516.2K

$9,880 GHS 114.6K

216.26%

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

$114 R 1,889

$73.2 GHS 849

56.26%

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

$28.91 R 478

$19.55 GHS 227

47.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 656

$43.07 GHS 500

-7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 810

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 182

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$12.92 GHS 150

-29.18%

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

$259 R 4,276

$466 GHS 5,407

-44.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 112.2K

$18.7K GHS 217.1K

-63.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 928

$14.04 GHS 163

300.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 535

$18.28 GHS 212

77.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,993

$36.79 GHS 427

227.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,786

$53.0 GHS 615

104.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.9K

$608 GHS 7,058

67.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$589 GHS 6,831

21.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$1,230 GHS 14.3K

48.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$1,119 GHS 13.0K

18.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

26.75

-58.99%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Coast: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Cape Coast

$589 46.7% 17.9% $128

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Cape Coast

$277 22% 23.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Cape Coast

$136 10.8% 25.8% $47

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Cape Coast

$171 13.5% 3% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Cape Coast

$55 4.4% 61.5% $88

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Cape Coast

$8 * 0.6% 89.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cape Coast

$26 * 2.1% 61.6% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $608 in Cape Coast. 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $52.0 in Cape Coast. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $277 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇬🇭 Cape Coast

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

155,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 GHS = 8.62 USD

100 GHS = 7.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 16.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 11.6 GHS (100 GHS = 8.62 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Cape Coast 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Cape Coast

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 Cape Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,892 in Cape Coast. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Coast, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $1,261 in Cape Coast. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $466 in Cape Coast. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cape Coast, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Cape Coast it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Cape Coast. 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.