Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and East London Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and East London

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $1,075 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,578 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $2,082 in East London, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 18% more than East London, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cape Town and East London are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, East London 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$6.68 R 109

64.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 734

$31.04 R 506

44.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.1

$4.45 R 72.7

10.34%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.62

$2.08 R 33.94

-3.85%

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

$1.10 R 18.02

$0.96 R 15.61

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.48

$0.87 R 14.21

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.76

$2.46 R 40.09

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.52

$3.17 R 51.8

-21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$1.02 R 16.67

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.66

$0.86 R 14.00

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.51

$2.04 R 33.23

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.28

$2.04 R 33.29

21.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 140

$9.25 R 151

-7.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.8

$4.05 R 66.1

26.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 125

$7.76 R 127

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.34

$1.58 R 25.75

-5.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.36

$2.16 R 35.25

-31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$1.43 R 23.29

4.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.95

$1.48 R 24.14

7.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.61

$1.51 R 24.62

-28.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.24

$1.43 R 23.34

-13.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.90

$1.11 R 18.08

-0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.64

$0.90 R 14.61

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.54

$2.72 R 44.38

11.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 101

$4.84 R 79.0

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.06

$1.77 R 28.82

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.34

$2.53 R 41.36

-33.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.24

$0.67 R 10.92

38.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 782

$21.80 R 356

119.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.52

$1.11 R 18.04

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.20

$0.90 R 14.66

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 71.2

$4.13 R 67.5

5.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.42

$1.28 R 20.92

-2.34%

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

$21.3K R 348.3K

$35.8K R 584.8K

-40.44%

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

$24.5K R 399.1K

$22.4K R 365.7K

9.13%

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

$98.3 R 1,604

$197 R 3,220

-50.18%

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

$33.19 R 542

$30.87 R 504

7.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 665

$45.37 R 740

-10.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 680

$33.49 R 546

24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$1.38 R 22.46

490.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$3.63 R 59.2

80.44%

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

$211 R 3,450

$120 R 1,959

76.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.5K

$4,216 R 68.8K

25.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 910

$52.6 R 858

5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 535

$28.82 R 470

13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,877

$108 R 1,768

6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,379

$87.6 R 1,429

-3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.5K

$263 R 4,285

191.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,488

$291 R 4,749

78.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.3K

$505 R 8,237

183.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$547 R 8,927

85.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.5K

$1,698 R 27.7K

-0.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

7.00%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for East London: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $263 in East London. 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 1% higher in East London, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $31.00 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $186 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 18% more than East London, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $1,612 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, 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 $1,273 in Cape Town and $1,075 in East London. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 120% less in East London. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Cape Town at $1,273. In East London 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. East London costs $1,075 versus $1,273 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 East London. 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.