Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Coimbra

For one person, living costs are similar in Cape Town and in Coimbra: $1,568 and $1,540 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 Coimbra
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Coimbra Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Coimbra

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $1,540 in Coimbra, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Coimbra $1,540

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $2,306 in Coimbra, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Coimbra $2,306

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $3,073 in Coimbra, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Coimbra $3,073

Cape Town costs about 2% more than Coimbra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Coimbra sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Coimbra by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$13.49 €12.04

-12.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$47.04 €41.98

-1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$9.91 €8.84

-39.86%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$1.95 €1.74

26.67%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.97 €1.76

-32.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$1.59 €1.42

-35.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$2.23 €1.99

34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$3.44 €3.07

6.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.03 €0.92

34.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.57 €1.40

-24.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.71 €1.53

23.39%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$3.26 €2.91

-7.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$11.90 €10.62

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$7.58 €6.77

-12.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$14.25 €12.71

-34.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.30 €2.05

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.59 €1.42

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.99 €1.77

-12.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$3.04 €2.71

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$1.63 €1.46

-4.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$2.06 €1.84

-27.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.62 €1.44

-19.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.72 €0.65

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$6.31 €5.63

-41.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$5.90 €5.26

2.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.27 €1.13

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$2.18 €1.94

0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.93 €1.73

-21.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$33.99 €30.33

79.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$4.44 €3.96

-85.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$1.40 €1.25

9.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$14.25 €12.72

-66.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$2.24 €2.00

-29.46%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$33.5K €29.9K

5.95%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$38.2K €34.1K

-16.79%

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

$116 R 1,920

$137 €122

-14.88%

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

$28.37 R 468

$22.05 €19.68

28.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$32.09 €28.63

26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$43.96 €39.23

11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$11.99 €10.70

-7.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$8.60 €7.67

2.67%

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

$261 R 4,314

$721 €643

-63.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$10.7K €9,570

-37.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$95.3 €85.0

-41.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$37.26 €33.25

-13.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$94.1 €84.0

24.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$116 €103

-7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$873 €779

16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$652 €582

9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$1,511 €1,348

19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$1,040 €928

27.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$2,737 €2,442

-14.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$1,222 €1,091

23.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$1,319 €1,177

24.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

3.83

186.42%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Coimbra: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Coimbra

$652 41.9% 8.9% $64

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Coimbra

$253 16.3% 13.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Coimbra

$191 12.3% 2.9% $5.4

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Coimbra

$193 12.4% 11.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Coimbra

$154 9.9% 9.6% $14

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Coimbra

$53 3.4% 29.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Coimbra

$61 3.9% 8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $873 in Coimbra. 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 24% 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 $47.00 in Coimbra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $253 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇹 Coimbra

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

11:13 11:13 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

140,838

💱 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Cape Town Coimbra 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Coimbra

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 Coimbra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 2% more than Coimbra, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $2,309 in Coimbra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Coimbra, 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 $1,568 in Cape Town and $1,540 in Coimbra. That's a gap of about 2%.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Coimbra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Coimbra, where all-in costs run around $1,540, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Coimbra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Coimbra costs $1,540 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Coimbra. 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.