Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Cosenza

For one person, living is cheaper in Cosenza: $1,380 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Cosenza
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Cosenza Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Cosenza

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,380 in Cosenza, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Cosenza $1,380

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,136 in Cosenza, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Cosenza $2,136

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $2,891 in Cosenza, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Cosenza $2,891

Cape Town costs about 11% more than Cosenza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Cape Town and Cosenza sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Cosenza by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$16.53 €14.72

-27.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$56.3 €50.1

-23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$11.17 €9.95

-44.94%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$1.80 €1.60

31.67%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$2.42 €2.16

-47.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$1.13 €1.01

-16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$5.52 €4.91

-46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$4.39 €3.91

-15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.12 €1.00

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$1.95 €1.74

-37.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$2.58 €2.29

-14.73%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$3.44 €3.06

-9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$11.95 €10.64

-26.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$9.92 €8.83

-30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$14.84 €13.21

-37.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$2.35 €2.09

-22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.08 €1.85

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.17 €1.93

-23.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$3.46 €3.08

-38.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$1.28 €1.14

23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.72 €1.53

-14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$1.40 €1.24

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$0.44 €0.39

159.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$6.85 €6.10

-47.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$6.47 €5.76

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$1.77 €1.58

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$3.00 €2.67

-27.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$1.35 €1.21

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$31.32 €27.89

93.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$4.55 €4.05

-79.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$1.29 €1.15

-30.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$22.41 €19.95

-77.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$2.04 €1.82

-24.51%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$31.3K €27.9K

12.96%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

$30.3K €26.9K

10.27%

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

$117 R 1,929

$204 €182

-42.58%

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

$25.71 R 424

$9.63 €8.58

166.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$30.62 €27.26

28.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$46.34 €41.26

11.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

$17.09 €15.22

-33.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$8.59 €7.65

3.49%

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

$308 R 5,069

$288 €256

6.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$2,754 €2,452

195.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$77.0 €68.5

-25.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$29.94 €26.66

6.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$105 €93.8

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$99.6 €88.7

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$499 €445

109.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$366 €326

82.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$918 €817

102.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$660 €588

113.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$1,815 €1,616

32.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$1,299 €1,156

20.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$1,495 €1,331

9.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.08

253.57%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cosenza: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Cosenza

$366 26.5% 45.3% $303

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Cosenza

$281 20.4% 25.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Cosenza

$244 17.7% 34% $62

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Cosenza

$238 17.2% 36.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Cosenza

$140 10.2% 2% $2.7

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Cosenza

$48 3.5% 33.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Cosenza

$64 4.6% 8.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $499 in Cosenza. 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 9% 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 $43 in Cape Town versus $56 in Cosenza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $281 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇹 Cosenza

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

63,693

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Cosenza 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Cosenza

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 Cosenza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 11% more than Cosenza, 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 $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,071 in Cosenza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cosenza, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $499 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,380 in Cosenza. That makes Cosenza about 10% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Cosenza. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,380 in Cosenza, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cosenza – 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 Cosenza. 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.