Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Drobeta-Turnu Severin

For one person, living is cheaper in Drobeta-Turnu Severin: $875 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Drobeta-Turnu Severin
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Drobeta-Turnu Severin Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

🇷🇴 Romania

$875

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Drobeta-Turnu Severin

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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $875 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $875

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,467 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $1,467

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $2,060 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $2,060

Cape Town costs about 81% more than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Drobeta-Turnu Severin is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$8.35 RON 39.52

45.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$42.52 RON 201

6.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$7.50 RON 35.48

-21.60%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$3.16 RON 14.94

-20.89%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$2.01 RON 9.51

-36.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$1.81 RON 8.55

-45.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$3.13 RON 14.83

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$3.86 RON 18.24

-3.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.38 RON 6.53

-5.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.14 RON 5.41

9.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.33 RON 6.31

67.67%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$3.54 RON 16.73

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$7.72 RON 36.52

17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$5.86 RON 27.73

18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$8.04 RON 38.04

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.21 RON 5.73

52.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.48 RON 7.01

32.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.50 RON 7.08

11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$2.53 RON 11.97

-14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.71 RON 3.35

121.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.65 RON 3.05

127.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.02 RON 4.84

27.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.86 RON 4.05

31.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$5.85 RON 27.68

-38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$7.24 RON 34.27

-15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$0.98 RON 4.65

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.40 RON 6.61

52.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.72 RON 3.39

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$21.82 RON 103

178.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.98 RON 4.61

-39.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.82 RON 3.89

82.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$8.49 RON 40.18

-39.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.92 RON 9.09

-19.27%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$28.8K RON 136.1K

25.90%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$25.5K RON 120.5K

22.71%

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

$114 R 1,883

$115 RON 544

-0.61%

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

$28.91 R 476

$9.38 RON 44.40

208.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$12.24 RON 57.9

224.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$37.47 RON 177

30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$19.96 RON 94.4

-44.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$6.77 RON 32.01

35.16%

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

$259 R 4,264

$441 RON 2,088

-41.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$6,801 RON 32.2K

-0.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$74.2 RON 351

-24.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$31.71 RON 150

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$85.8 RON 406

40.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$90.6 RON 429

19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$384 RON 1,819

165.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$170 RON 805

321.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$602 RON 2,849

202.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$455 RON 2,154

191.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,854 RON 8,770

29.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$1,359 RON 6,430

13.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$923 RON 4,366

77.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

7.02

56.27%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Drobeta-Turnu Severin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$170 19.4% 76.3% $547

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$195 22.3% 13.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$137 15.6% 25.3% $46

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$166 19% 5.8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$127 14.5% 11% $16

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$30 3.4% 60.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$51 5.8% 24.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $384 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. 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 78% 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $43.00 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $195 – making Drobeta-Turnu Severin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇷🇴 Drobeta-Turnu Severin

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

92,617

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Drobeta-Turnu Severin 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Drobeta-Turnu Severin

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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 81% more than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,313 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, 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 $875 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. That's a gap of about 81%.

Public transport costs about 178% less in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Drobeta-Turnu Severin 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. Drobeta-Turnu Severin costs $875 versus $1,586 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin. 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.