Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,274 per month in Cape Town vs $1,026 in Durres, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $1,569 in Durres, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Cape Town vs $2,113 in Durres, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 24% more than Durres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cape Town and Durres are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Durres 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 180

$9.65 ALL 787

12.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 745

$34.76 ALL 2,835

29.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 R 85.5

$6.94 ALL 566

-25.50%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.87

$1.94 ALL 159

2.58%

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

$1.15 R 18.98

$1.57 ALL 128

-26.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.54

$0.78 ALL 63.7

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 47.57

$2.42 ALL 198

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.55

$3.19 ALL 260

-23.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.27

$1.95 ALL 159

-40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.23

$0.90 ALL 73.6

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.41

$1.95 ALL 159

-2.56%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.92

$3.04 ALL 248

-18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 R 142

$10.67 ALL 870

-19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 83.4

$7.63 ALL 622

-33.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 124

$13.01 ALL 1,061

-42.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.09

$1.20 ALL 97.8

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.49

$2.34 ALL 191

-39.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.18

$1.29 ALL 105

13.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.58

$1.16 ALL 94.7

32.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.57

$1.14 ALL 93.1

-1.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.54

$0.98 ALL 79.9

26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$1.10 ALL 89.6

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.84

$0.66 ALL 54.1

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R 49.93

$3.95 ALL 322

-23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 99.7

$11.03 ALL 900

-45.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 23.04

$1.69 ALL 137

-17.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.63

$1.73 ALL 141

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.05

$0.49 ALL 39.98

97.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 781

$18.02 ALL 1,470

161.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.75

$3.58 ALL 292

-60.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.46

$2.14 ALL 175

-56.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 R 73.9

$17.67 ALL 1,441

-74.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.71

$2.10 ALL 171

-43.33%

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

$21.2K R 351.3K

$15.3K ALL 1.3M

38.27%

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

$23.9K R 395.6K

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

-6.15%

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

$99.4 R 1,646

$67.8 ALL 5,529

46.67%

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

$33.36 R 552

$17.88 ALL 1,458

86.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 R 677

$15.58 ALL 1,271

162.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 R 695

$36.70 ALL 2,993

14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.18 R 135

$57.9 ALL 4,720

-85.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 114

$7.24 ALL 590

-5.11%

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

$210 R 3,478

$177 ALL 14.5K

18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 R 88.6K

$4,459 ALL 363.6K

20.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 923

$38.02 ALL 3,101

46.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 R 555

$39.07 ALL 3,186

-14.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,873

$86.5 ALL 7,053

30.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R 1,417

$156 ALL 12.7K

-45.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R 12.7K

$424 ALL 34.6K

80.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,658

$316 ALL 25.8K

65.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R 24.1K

$614 ALL 50.0K

137.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 R 17.3K

$430 ALL 35.0K

142.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 R 38.6K

$1,809 ALL 147.5K

28.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 R 25.0K

$1,130 ALL 92.1K

33.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 R 26.5K

$939 ALL 76.6K

70.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

5.33

120.83%

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

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Last update for Durres: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Cape Town versus $424 in Durres. 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $35.00 in Durres. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Cape Town vs $240 in Durres – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 24% more than Durres, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,911 per month in Cape Town and $1,539 in Durres. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durres, 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 $1,274 in Cape Town and $1,026 in Durres. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 162% less in Durres. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Durres, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Cape Town at $1,274. In Durres 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. Durres costs $1,026 versus $1,274 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 Durres. 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.