Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and George Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and George

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,252 per month in Cape Town vs $1,091 in George, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,964 per month in Cape Town vs $1,739 in George, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,676 per month in Cape Town vs $2,387 in George, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 15% more than George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cape Town and George are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 7% lower, George 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 R 177

$11.23 R 182

-2.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.43 R 718

$37.15 R 601

19.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 R 83.4

$5.06 R 81.8

1.98%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.09

$2.00 R 32.26

-1.00%

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

$1.10 R 17.84

$1.58 R 25.59

-30.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.24

$1.19 R 19.30

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 R 45.75

$2.57 R 41.60

10.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 41.81

$3.00 R 48.54

-13.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.64

$1.10 R 17.86

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 16.98

$1.10 R 17.71

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.75

$1.61 R 26.00

14.29%

Eggs

$2.46 R 39.79

$2.89 R 46.74

-14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 137

$9.36 R 151

-9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 R 82.2

$4.69 R 75.8

8.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 R 123

$7.66 R 124

-0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.46

$1.85 R 29.96

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.81

$1.62 R 26.12

-9.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.54

$1.42 R 23.03

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.49

$1.59 R 25.78

-5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.17

$1.53 R 24.76

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.17

$1.75 R 28.25

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.64

$1.29 R 20.78

-15.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.08

$0.89 R 14.34

4.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 50.6

$3.10 R 50.2

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 98.6

$4.88 R 78.9

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 21.78

$1.16 R 18.80

16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.02

$1.61 R 26.10

7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.08

$0.75 R 12.19

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.64 R 770

$25.98 R 420

83.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 R 22.93

$1.13 R 18.28

25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.11

$0.88 R 14.29

5.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 70.5

$4.01 R 64.8

8.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.91

$1.23 R 19.92

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

$21.2K R 343.2K

$20.9K R 338.7K

1.33%

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

$24.1K R 389.6K

$20.9K R 338.1K

15.24%

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

$99.9 R 1,615

$125 R 2,021

-20.10%

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

$33.35 R 539

$16.46 R 266

102.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 R 661

$51.1 R 826

-19.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 R 687

$27.01 R 437

57.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.95 R 129

$11.08 R 179

-28.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 111

$5.51 R 89.2

24.68%

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

$213 R 3,450

$127 R 2,046

68.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,342 R 86.4K

$4,753 R 76.8K

12.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R 905

$73.3 R 1,185

-23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.52 R 526

$32.53 R 526

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,849

$99.0 R 1,600

15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 R 1,350

$88.8 R 1,436

-6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 R 12.4K

$391 R 6,317

95.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,452

$333 R 5,381

57.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 22.7K

$723 R 11.7K

94.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 R 16.6K

$812 R 13.1K

26.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,343 R 37.9K

$375 R 6,059

525.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 R 24.1K

$248 R 4,013

499.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,641 R 26.5K

$1,346 R 21.8K

21.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

10.88

8.18%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 8, 2026

Last update for George: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Cape Town versus $391 in George. 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 22% 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 $44.00 in Cape Town versus $37.00 in George. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Cape Town vs $190 in George – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 15% more than George, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,878 per month in Cape Town and $1,636 in George. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in George, 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 $1,252 in Cape Town and $1,091 in George. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 83% less in George. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in George, where all-in costs run around $1,091, than in Cape Town at $1,252. In George 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. George costs $1,091 versus $1,252 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 George. 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.