Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Constanta

For one person, living is cheaper in Constanta: $1,264 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Constanta
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Constanta Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Constanta

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $1,264 in Constanta, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Constanta $1,264

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,906 in Constanta, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Constanta $1,906

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $2,547 in Constanta, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Constanta $2,547

Cape Town costs about 24% more than Constanta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Constanta is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$12.73 RON 60.2

-7.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$63.7 RON 301

-26.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$7.48 RON 35.36

-20.32%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$3.16 RON 14.96

-21.84%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.78 RON 8.40

-25.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$1.27 RON 6.01

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$2.17 RON 10.28

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$3.24 RON 15.34

12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.65 RON 7.83

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.22 RON 5.78

-2.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.69 RON 8.01

24.85%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.89 RON 13.68

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$8.75 RON 41.38

2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$5.50 RON 25.99

20.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$9.01 RON 42.62

3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.29 RON 6.11

41.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.58 RON 7.48

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.57 RON 7.42

11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$2.70 RON 12.75

-22.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.92 RON 4.34

68.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.95 RON 4.48

56.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.99 RON 4.70

31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.88 RON 4.16

31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$6.41 RON 30.31

-42.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$6.47 RON 30.59

-6.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.05 RON 4.97

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.70 RON 8.04

29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.61 RON 2.89

147.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$16.98 RON 80.3

259.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$0.80 RON 3.78

-21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.80 RON 3.80

91.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$7.39 RON 34.97

-34.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.94 RON 9.15

-18.56%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$28.3K RON 133.8K

25.49%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$24.4K RON 115.6K

29.93%

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

$116 R 1,920

$167 RON 792

-30.49%

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

$28.37 R 468

$7.64 RON 36.14

271.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$7.66 RON 36.24

431.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$54.3 RON 257

-10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$13.60 RON 64.3

-18.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$7.01 RON 33.17

25.96%

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

$261 R 4,314

$564 RON 2,667

-53.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$7,583 RON 35.9K

-11.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$65.7 RON 311

-15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$45.90 RON 217

-29.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$87.8 RON 415

33.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$87.3 RON 413

22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$590 RON 2,788

72.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$467 RON 2,209

53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$1,067 RON 5,049

68.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$743 RON 3,514

79.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$2,522 RON 11.9K

-7.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$2,034 RON 9,622

-25.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$962 RON 4,548

70.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.99

56.94%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Constanta: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Constanta

$467 36.9% 34.7% $248

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Constanta

$204 16.1% 8.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Constanta

$183 14.4% 1.5% $2.7

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Constanta

$192 15.1% 10.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Constanta

$129 10.2% 8.2% $11

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Constanta

$24 1.9% 67.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Constanta

$68 5.4% 2.8% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $590 in Constanta. 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 70% 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 $64.0 in Constanta. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Cape Town vs $204 in Constanta – so Constanta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇷🇴 Constanta

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

06:52 6:52 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

283,872

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR 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 = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Constanta 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Constanta

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 Constanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 24% more than Constanta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $1,897 in Constanta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Constanta, 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 $1,264 in Constanta. That's a gap of about 24%.

Public transport costs about 259% less in Constanta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Constanta, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Constanta 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. Constanta costs $1,264 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 Constanta. 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.