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 $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $1,152 in Durres, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,773 in Durres, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $2,393 in Durres, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 42% more than Durres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Durres is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 195

$10.72 ALL 847

13.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 782

$38.29 ALL 3,027

27.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.4

$10.64 ALL 841

-46.90%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.15

$2.05 ALL 162

28.78%

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

$1.31 R 21.03

$2.11 ALL 167

-37.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.91

$1.02 ALL 80.5

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.7

$3.22 ALL 254

-1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 60.7

$4.32 ALL 342

-12.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.05

$2.22 ALL 175

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.75

$1.14 ALL 90.3

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.84

$2.41 ALL 190

-9.54%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.64

$3.84 ALL 304

-20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 147

$13.11 ALL 1,036

-29.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 110

$8.03 ALL 635

-14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 149

$15.05 ALL 1,189

-38.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.26

$1.24 ALL 98.0

52.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.52

$2.54 ALL 201

-20.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.66

$1.57 ALL 124

6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.48

$1.34 ALL 106

65.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.44

$0.86 ALL 67.9

77.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.85

$0.97 ALL 76.3

67.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.33

$1.24 ALL 98.3

7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.83

$0.71 ALL 56.5

66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.4

$4.35 ALL 344

-17.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 99.9

$11.42 ALL 903

-45.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.47

$1.56 ALL 124

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 37.02

$2.16 ALL 171

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.20

$0.51 ALL 40.51

184.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 984

$19.15 ALL 1,514

221.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.32

$3.68 ALL 291

-82.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.87

$2.59 ALL 205

-37.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.11

$2.17 ALL 172

-27.65%

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

$37.1K R 593.1K

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

131.01%

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

$33.2K R 530.7K

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

$121 R 1,930

$97.0 ALL 7,671

24.36%

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

$30.79 R 492

$17.29 ALL 1,367

78.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 633

$17.02 ALL 1,345

132.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 811

$42.56 ALL 3,364

19.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 189

$63.4 ALL 5,010

-81.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 150

$7.51 ALL 593

24.50%

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

$265 R 4,243

$190 ALL 15.0K

39.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 104.9K

$4,635 ALL 366.4K

41.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 921

$39.39 ALL 3,114

46.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 530

$41.78 ALL 3,302

-20.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,932

$91.8 ALL 7,254

31.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,756

$163 ALL 12.8K

-32.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.6K

$471 ALL 37.2K

119.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.6K

$335 ALL 26.4K

117.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.3K

$734 ALL 58.0K

158.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.7K

$479 ALL 37.9K

183.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 39.8K

$1,835 ALL 145.1K

35.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.8K

$1,151 ALL 91.0K

40.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.3K

$975 ALL 77.0K

68.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

5.25

109.90%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Durres: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $471 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 69% 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $38.00 in Durres. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Cape Town vs $271 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 42% 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 $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $1,728 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 $1,640 in Cape Town and $1,152 in Durres. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 221% 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 $1,152, than in Cape Town at $1,640. 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 $1,152 versus $1,640 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.