Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Coquimbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquimbo: $549 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Coquimbo

🇨🇱 Chile

$549

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $549 in Coquimbo, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Coquimbo $549

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $915 in Coquimbo, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Coquimbo $915

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $1,282 in Coquimbo, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Coquimbo $1,282

Cape Town costs about 178% more than Coquimbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Coquimbo is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$6.63 CLP 6,484

81.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$45.37 CLP 44.4K

-5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$6.29 CLP 6,145

-2.23%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$3.59 CLP 3,507

-33.98%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.09 CLP 1,067

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$0.99 CLP 969

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$3.98 CLP 3,890

-25.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$4.65 CLP 4,549

-20.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.02 CLP 998

29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$3.07 CLP 3,003

-60.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$1.23 CLP 1,198

78.86%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$2.49 CLP 2,438

24.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$8.00 CLP 7,818

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$1.29 CLP 1,258

41.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$1.79 CLP 1,749

8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$1.03 CLP 1,005

61.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$0.94 CLP 918

127.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.23 CLP 1,207

19.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$0.59 CLP 582

128.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.27 CLP 1,245

-10.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$4.99 CLP 4,874

-28.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$8.30 CLP 8,116

-27.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$4.42 CLP 4,324

-50.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$0.78 CLP 765

79.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.40 CLP 1,365

10.00%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

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

$117 R 1,929

$100 CLP 98.1K

16.64%

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

$25.71 R 424

$12.06 CLP 11.8K

113.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$25.38 CLP 24.8K

103.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

$4.95 CLP 4,836

129.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$4.09 CLP 3,999

117.36%

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

$308 R 5,069

$253 CLP 247.5K

21.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$27.7K CLP 27.1M

-70.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$44.96 CLP 44.0K

27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$25.74 CLP 25.2K

23.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$61.2 CLP 59.8K

89.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$81.1 CLP 79.2K

24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$606 CLP 592.7K

168.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

117.80%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Coquimbo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Coquimbo

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Coquimbo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Coquimbo

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Coquimbo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Coquimbo

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Coquimbo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Coquimbo

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Cape Town are about 2.7 times higher, 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 $43 in Cape Town versus $45 in Coquimbo. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Cape Town vs $151 in Coquimbo – so Coquimbo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇨🇱 Coquimbo

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

02:16 2:16 AM

5 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

204,068

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR 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 = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 978 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,098 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Coquimbo 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Coquimbo

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 Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 178% more than Coquimbo, 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 $823 in Coquimbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $549 in Coquimbo. That makes Coquimbo about 64% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $253 in Coquimbo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Coquimbo, where all-in costs run around $549, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Coquimbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $549 in Coquimbo to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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