Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Dera Ghazi Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dera Ghazi Khan: $427 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dera Ghazi Khan
Learn more

Dera Ghazi Khan Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Dera Ghazi Khan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $427 in Dera Ghazi Khan, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Dera Ghazi Khan $427

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $649 in Dera Ghazi Khan, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Dera Ghazi Khan $649

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $870 in Dera Ghazi Khan, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Dera Ghazi Khan $870

Cape Town costs about 271% more than Dera Ghazi Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Dera Ghazi Khan is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$1.85 PKR 513

556.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$10.95 PKR 3,031

314.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$5.29 PKR 1,465

11.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PKR 718

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 PKR 607

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.44 PKR 399

73.61%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.47 PKR 130

170.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.30 PKR 82.6

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.76 PKR 211

71.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.65 PKR 179

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.22 PKR 337

82.79%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.19 PKR 330

161.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$8.50 PKR 2,354

6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$2.46 PKR 682

181.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$3.99 PKR 1,103

133.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.11 PKR 307

65.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$0.63 PKR 174

211.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.58 PKR 159

187.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.62 PKR 173

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.30 PKR 83.4

423.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.47 PKR 130

214.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.44 PKR 123

195.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.43 PKR 119

162.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.55 PKR 153

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 PKR 146

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$1.42 PKR 393

153.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.20 PKR 54.0

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$9.63 PKR 2,666

530.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$1.06 PKR 294

-44.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.06 PKR 293

41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$2.91 PKR 806

75.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.90 PKR 248

72.22%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

51.26%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$23.0K PKR 6.4M

35.84%

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

$114 R 1,883

$67.8 PKR 18.8K

68.54%

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

$28.91 R 476

$5.58 PKR 1,544

418.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$14.62 PKR 4,048

171.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$15.20 PKR 4,208

222.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$8.46 PKR 2,342

29.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$7.32 PKR 2,027

25.00%

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

$259 R 4,264

$26.35 PKR 7,293

882.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$2,043 PKR 565.3K

232.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$18.64 PKR 5,160

201.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$25.98 PKR 7,191

24.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$53.8 PKR 14.9K

124.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$30.30 PKR 8,388

256.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$136 PKR 37.6K

652.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$86.3 PKR 23.9K

730.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$226 PKR 62.5K

707.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$159 PKR 44.0K

733.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$926 PKR 256.4K

158.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$476 PKR 131.9K

223.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

11.83

-7.27%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dera Ghazi Khan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$86 20.2% 88% $631

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$97 22.7% 56.9% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$88 20.6% 51.9% $95

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$51 12% 71% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$58 13.6% 59.4% $85

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$17 3.9% 77.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$30 7% 55.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $136 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $11.00 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $97.0 – making Dera Ghazi Khan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇰 Dera Ghazi Khan

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

399,064

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Dera Ghazi Khan 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 271% more than Dera Ghazi Khan, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $640 in Dera Ghazi Khan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dera Ghazi Khan, 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 $1,586 in Cape Town and $427 in Dera Ghazi Khan. That's a gap of about 271%.

Public transport costs about 531% less in Dera Ghazi Khan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dera Ghazi Khan, where all-in costs run around $427, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Dera Ghazi Khan 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. Dera Ghazi Khan costs $427 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Dera Ghazi Khan. 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.