Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Egilsstadir

For one person, living is cheaper in Egilsstadir: $623 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Egilsstadir

🇮🇸 Iceland

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $623 in Egilsstadir, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Egilsstadir $623

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,044 in Egilsstadir, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Egilsstadir $1,044

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,465 in Egilsstadir, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Egilsstadir $1,465

Cape Town costs about 152% more than Egilsstadir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Egilsstadir is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

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

$1.33 R 22.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$1.70 ISK 207

-18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$2.85 ISK 348

-58.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$2.48 ISK 302

-14.92%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$5.85 ISK 712

-48.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$22.28 ISK 2,715

-59.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$33.23 ISK 4,049

-79.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$43.56 ISK 5,308

-78.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$2.70 ISK 328

-32.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$2.45 ISK 298

-22.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$2.54 ISK 309

-31.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$3.85 ISK 469

-45.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$4.40 ISK 536

-64.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$2.11 ISK 257

-29.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$2.20 ISK 268

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$2.22 ISK 270

-47.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

$22.37 ISK 2,726

-72.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$3.99 ISK 486

-65.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

$3.56 ISK 433

-38.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

$6.11 ISK 744

-89.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

$2.33 ISK 284

-32.19%

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

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

$116 R 1,930

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

$28.37 R 471

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,336

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Egilsstadir: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Egilsstadir

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Egilsstadir

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Egilsstadir

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Egilsstadir

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Egilsstadir

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Egilsstadir

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Egilsstadir

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇸 Egilsstadir

🕒 Local time

09:34 9:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

2,500

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Egilsstadir 11,390 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Egilsstadir

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 Egilsstadir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 152% more than Egilsstadir, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $935 in Egilsstadir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $623 in Egilsstadir. That's a gap of about 152%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 181% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Egilsstadir, where all-in costs run around $623, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Egilsstadir 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. Egilsstadir costs $623 versus $1,568 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 Egilsstadir. 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.