Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ebene

For one person, living is cheaper in Ebene: $690 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Ebene
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Ebene Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,599

/mo nomad

Ebene

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Ebene

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 Ebene actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Cape Town vs $690 in Ebene, rent included.

Cape Town $1,599
Ebene $690

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Cape Town vs $1,190 in Ebene, rent included.

Cape Town $2,460
Ebene $1,190

A family of three spends $3,320 per month in Cape Town vs $1,690 in Ebene, rent included.

Cape Town $3,320
Ebene $1,690

Cape Town costs about 132% more than Ebene, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 18% above the global median, while Ebene is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

$5.62 MUR 265

114.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

$32.16 MUR 1,514

45.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

$6.34 MUR 298

-2.21%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

$2.62 MUR 123

-4.58%

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

$1.35 R 22.28

$0.88 MUR 41.45

53.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$0.50 MUR 23.72

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

$1.78 MUR 83.6

71.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

$2.49 MUR 117

47.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

$1.49 MUR 70.2

-12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

$0.72 MUR 33.68

76.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

$1.10 MUR 51.9

97.27%

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

$2.21 MUR 104

39.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

$8.37 MUR 394

7.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

$6.35 MUR 299

10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

$10.50 MUR 494

-7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

$1.76 MUR 83.0

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

$1.23 MUR 57.7

56.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

$1.39 MUR 65.5

27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

$2.53 MUR 119

-13.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

$0.92 MUR 43.21

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$0.98 MUR 46.29

59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

$0.74 MUR 34.91

78.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

$0.55 MUR 26.08

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

$5.56 MUR 262

-33.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

$8.21 MUR 387

-26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

$1.63 MUR 76.8

-17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

$2.59 MUR 122

-17.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

$0.86 MUR 40.63

80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

$4.23 MUR 199

-85.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

$3.10 MUR 146

-50.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

$21.46 MUR 1,010

-76.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

$1.39 MUR 65.7

15.11%

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

-3.99%

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

$30.9K MUR 1.5M

12.23%

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

$119 R 1,955

$44.08 MUR 2,075

169.12%

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

$29.42 R 485

$10.45 MUR 492

181.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

$29.22 MUR 1,376

36.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$28.87 MUR 1,359

75.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

$6.50 MUR 306

68.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

$5.94 MUR 280

51.35%

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

$261 R 4,303

$129 MUR 6,053

103.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

$7,679 MUR 361.5K

-9.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

$43.42 MUR 2,044

29.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

$41.49 MUR 1,953

-19.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

$48.24 MUR 2,271

151.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

$46.55 MUR 2,191

132.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

$256 MUR 12.0K

302.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

$144 MUR 6,803

398.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

$575 MUR 27.1K

219.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

$423 MUR 19.9K

221.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

$1,174 MUR 55.3K

40.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.67

64.47%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ebene: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Ebene

$144 20.9% 79.9% $575

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Ebene

$202 29.3% 10.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Ebene

$84 12.1% 55.4% $104

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Ebene

$115 16.6% 35.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Ebene

$81 11.7% 43.6% $63

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Ebene

$23 * 3.4% 69.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Ebene

$41 5.9% 40.7% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Cape Town versus $256 in Ebene. 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 40% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $32.00 in Ebene. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $202 – making Ebene the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇺 Ebene

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

1,001

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Ebene 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ebene

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 Ebene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 132% more than Ebene, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,398 per month in Cape Town and $1,035 in Ebene. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ebene, 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 $1,599 in Cape Town and $690 in Ebene. That's a gap of about 132%.

Kindergarten costs $261 per month in Cape Town and $129 in Ebene. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ebene, where all-in costs run around $690, than in Cape Town at $1,599. In Ebene 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. Ebene costs $690 versus $1,599 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 Ebene. 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.