Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Fiumicino

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,749 in Fiumicino, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Fiumicino
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Fiumicino Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Fiumicino

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,749 in Fiumicino, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Fiumicino $1,749

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,594 in Fiumicino, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Fiumicino $2,594

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,438 in Fiumicino, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Fiumicino $3,438

Cape Town is about 13% cheaper than Fiumicino, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Fiumicino sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Fiumicino by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 199

$16.93 €15.15

-29.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 709

$74.7 €66.8

-42.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

$11.39 €10.19

-46.01%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.16

$2.23 €2.00

6.28%

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

$1.27 R 21.03

$2.53 €2.26

-49.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.50

$1.34 €1.20

-29.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.92

$5.72 €5.12

-48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 61.0

$5.67 €5.07

-34.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.80

$1.97 €1.76

-32.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.93

$1.86 €1.66

-34.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.37

$3.02 €2.70

-27.15%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.3

$4.44 €3.97

-30.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$16.93 €15.15

-48.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$12.01 €10.75

-42.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$20.76 €18.57

-55.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.17

$2.63 €2.36

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.22

$1.86 €1.66

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.40

$2.24 €2.01

-25.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.30

$3.60 €3.22

-40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.09

$1.71 €1.53

-7.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.37

$1.80 €1.61

-18.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.25

$1.35 €1.21

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.91

$0.62 €0.56

83.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.1

$6.77 €6.06

-47.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 100

$6.26 €5.60

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 23.02

$1.85 €1.66

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 36.01

$3.13 €2.80

-30.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.09

$1.66 €1.49

-15.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,004

$42.01 €37.59

44.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.31

$4.58 €4.09

-79.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.88

$1.31 €1.17

-31.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 82.0

$23.74 €21.24

-79.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.45

$2.11 €1.89

-27.01%

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

$35.4K R 584.6K

$35.4K €31.7K

-0.18%

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

$33.4K R 551.6K

$37.7K €33.8K

-11.53%

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

$117 R 1,935

$121 €108

-3.14%

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

$25.71 R 425

$9.30 €8.32

176.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 651

$31.46 €28.15

25.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 853

$54.1 €48.42

-4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 188

$23.58 €21.10

-51.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 147

$9.91 €8.87

-10.29%

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

$308 R 5,085

$443 €397

-30.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.6K

$7,904 €7,072

3.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 948

$93.6 €83.8

-38.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 525

$42.40 €37.94

-25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,917

$105 €94.4

9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,665

$137 €122

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.3K

$723 €647

44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.1K

$690 €617

-2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.8K

$1,157 €1,036

60.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.3K

$902 €807

56.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.8K

$2,995 €2,680

-19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$2,028 €1,814

-22.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$2,182 €1,952

-25.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.08

253.57%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fiumicino: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Fiumicino

$690 39.4% 3.1% $21

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Fiumicino

$342 19.6% 53.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Fiumicino

$162 9.2% 11.3% $21

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Fiumicino

$252 14.4% 44.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Fiumicino

$170 9.7% 23.6% $33

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Fiumicino

$60 3.4% 16.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Fiumicino

$74 4.2% 6.6% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $723 in Fiumicino. 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 34% higher in Fiumicino. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $75 in Fiumicino. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $342 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇹 Fiumicino

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

78,395

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Fiumicino 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Fiumicino

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 Fiumicino: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fiumicino costs about 15% 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 $2,624 in Fiumicino. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fiumicino, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $723 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,749 in Fiumicino. That makes Cape Town about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Fiumicino. 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 $1,749 in Fiumicino. 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 $1,749 in Fiumicino. 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, Fiumicino makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.