Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Eskilstuna

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,800 in Eskilstuna, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Eskilstuna
Learn more

Eskilstuna Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Eskilstuna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,800 in Eskilstuna, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Eskilstuna $1,800

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,723 in Eskilstuna, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Eskilstuna $2,723

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,646 in Eskilstuna, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Eskilstuna $3,646

Cape Town is about 15% cheaper than Eskilstuna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Eskilstuna sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Eskilstuna by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$14.33 SEK 141

-16.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$65.5 SEK 643

-34.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$7.58 SEK 74.4

-18.87%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$4.48 SEK 43.98

-47.10%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$2.61 SEK 25.63

-51.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$2.22 SEK 21.75

-57.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$6.78 SEK 66.5

-56.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$6.33 SEK 62.1

-41.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.76 SEK 17.23

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$3.06 SEK 30.01

-60.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$3.44 SEK 33.76

-36.05%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$4.01 SEK 39.37

-22.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$14.05 SEK 138

-37.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$12.60 SEK 124

-45.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$13.00 SEK 128

-28.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$3.20 SEK 31.37

-42.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.73 SEK 26.76

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.62 SEK 25.74

-36.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$3.82 SEK 37.46

-43.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$1.46 SEK 14.32

8.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.83 SEK 17.99

-19.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$3.18 SEK 31.25

-57.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.78 SEK 17.48

-35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$7.22 SEK 70.9

-50.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$7.93 SEK 77.8

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$2.02 SEK 19.78

-31.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$2.26 SEK 22.17

-3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$3.25 SEK 31.88

-56.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$67.3 SEK 660

-9.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$13.03 SEK 128

-92.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$2.03 SEK 19.88

-55.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$81.5 SEK 800

-93.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.77 SEK 17.32

-12.99%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$32.4K SEK 317.9K

9.14%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

$32.8K SEK 321.7K

1.78%

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

$117 R 1,929

$181 SEK 1,776

-35.31%

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

$25.71 R 424

$28.80 SEK 283

-10.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$38.76 SEK 380

1.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$24.74 SEK 243

108.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$11.05 SEK 108

-19.55%

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

$308 R 5,069

$153 SEK 1,502

100.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$98.8 SEK 969

-41.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$30.07 SEK 295

5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$91.3 SEK 896

27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$152 SEK 1,493

-33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$706 SEK 6,930

48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$620 SEK 6,080

7.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$1,170 SEK 11.5K

59.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$1,026 SEK 10.1K

37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$3,040 SEK 29.8K

-20.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$2,566 SEK 25.2K

-38.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$4,266 SEK 41.9K

-61.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

2.8

288.93%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Eskilstuna: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Eskilstuna

$620 34.4% 7.4% $49

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Eskilstuna

$357 19.8% 59.8% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Eskilstuna

$249 13.8% 36.4% $66

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Eskilstuna

$257 14.3% 47.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Eskilstuna

$168 9.3% 21.7% $30

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Eskilstuna

$103 5.8% 44.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Eskilstuna

$47 2.6% 32.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $706 in Eskilstuna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Eskilstuna are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $66 in Eskilstuna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $357 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇪 Eskilstuna

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

67,359

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11.01 SEK (100 SEK = 9.08 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Eskilstuna 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Eskilstuna

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 Eskilstuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eskilstuna costs about 18% more than Cape Town, 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 $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,700 in Eskilstuna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Eskilstuna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,800 in Eskilstuna. That makes Cape Town about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,800 in Eskilstuna. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,800 in Eskilstuna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Eskilstuna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.