Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Compiegne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,659 in Compiegne, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Compiegne despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Compiegne
Learn more

Compiegne Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Compiegne

🇫🇷 France

$1,659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,659 in Compiegne, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Compiegne $1,659

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,583 in Compiegne, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Compiegne $2,583

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,507 in Compiegne, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Compiegne $3,507

Cape Town is about 8% cheaper than Compiegne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Compiegne sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Compiegne by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$17.10 €15.24

-29.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$63.1 €56.2

-31.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$13.52 €12.04

-54.51%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$3.72 €3.31

-36.29%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$2.75 €2.45

-53.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$1.72 €1.53

-45.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$7.98 €7.11

-62.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$5.51 €4.91

-33.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$1.28 €1.14

3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$1.91 €1.71

-36.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$2.86 €2.55

-23.08%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$4.20 €3.74

-26.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$21.75 €19.37

-59.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$12.95 €11.53

-46.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$23.27 €20.73

-60.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.42 €3.05

-46.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.20 €1.96

-11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$2.37 €2.12

-29.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$3.16 €2.82

-32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$1.86 €1.66

-15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$1.98 €1.76

-25.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$1.64 €1.46

-17.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$0.68 €0.60

67.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$14.09 €12.56

-74.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$7.40 €6.59

-18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$2.45 €2.18

-43.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$3.27 €2.91

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$3.16 €2.82

-70.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$2.19 €1.95

-58.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$29.82 €26.57

-83.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.17 €1.94

-29.03%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$34.6K €30.8K

2.15%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$39.0K €34.7K

-14.43%

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

$117 R 1,918

$209 €186

-43.90%

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

$25.71 R 421

$15.37 €13.69

67.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$30.59 €27.25

28.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$41.82 €37.26

23.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$39.36 €35.06

-71.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$14.60 €13.01

-39.11%

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

$308 R 5,040

$620 €552

-50.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$22.4K €19.9K

-63.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$87.1 €77.6

-34.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$40.31 €35.91

-21.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$103 €92.1

12.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$101 €89.9

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$694 €618

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$506 €451

32.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$1,293 €1,152

43.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$920 €819

53.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$2,789 €2,485

-13.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$2,105 €1,875

-25.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$2,156 €1,920

-24.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.72

192.74%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Compiegne: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Compiegne

$506 30.5% 24.3% $163

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Compiegne

$373 22.5% 67.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Compiegne

$255 15.4% 39.8% $72

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Compiegne

$291 17.5% 67.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Compiegne

$149 9% 8.5% $12

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Compiegne

$14 * 0.9% 80.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Compiegne

$71 4.3% 2.3% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $694 in Compiegne. 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 32% higher in Compiegne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $63 in Compiegne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $373 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇫🇷 Compiegne

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

40,394

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Compiegne 9,390 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Compiegne

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 Compiegne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Compiegne costs about 9% more than Cape Town, 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 $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,489 in Compiegne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Compiegne, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $694 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,659 in Compiegne. That makes Cape Town about 8% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $620 in Compiegne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,659 in Compiegne. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,659 in Compiegne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Compiegne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.