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 $1,612 per month in Cape Town vs $1,158 in George, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,499 per month in Cape Town vs $1,912 in George, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,385 per month in Cape Town vs $2,666 in George, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 39% more than George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Cape Town sits 18% above the global median, while George is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 R 189

$11.06 R 181

4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.18 R 806

$43.60 R 714

12.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 R 100

$5.11 R 83.7

19.57%

Cappuccino

$2.48 R 40.68

$2.19 R 35.84

13.24%

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

$1.40 R 23.00

$1.04 R 17.09

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.61

$0.77 R 12.53

31.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 R 51.0

$2.84 R 46.51

9.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 R 62.1

$3.33 R 54.5

13.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.00

$1.16 R 18.92

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 R 21.34

$1.09 R 17.86

19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 R 35.35

$1.51 R 24.73

43.05%

Eggs

$3.05 R 49.99

$2.77 R 45.31

10.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 R 146

$8.72 R 143

2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 R 114

$5.63 R 92.3

23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 R 160

$6.71 R 110

45.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.67

$1.68 R 27.60

11.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.17

$1.58 R 25.87

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.79

$1.58 R 25.91

11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.54

$1.66 R 27.21

27.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.13

$1.69 R 27.67

-9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.58

$1.48 R 24.26

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.36

$1.35 R 22.09

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 R 19.71

$1.03 R 16.83

16.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 R 60.7

$3.26 R 53.4

13.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 R 98.3

$4.93 R 80.8

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.50

$1.32 R 21.62

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 34.96

$1.80 R 29.49

18.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.77

$1.52 R 24.96

-0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 R 1,013

$28.53 R 467

116.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.53

$0.66 R 10.82

-3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R 25.96

$0.52 R 8.45

205.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 R 85.3

$8.79 R 144

-40.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.21

$1.27 R 20.86

16.54%

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

$36.4K R 596.0K

$31.2K R 510.2K

16.82%

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

$32.3K R 529.0K

$29.7K R 485.9K

8.86%

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

$121 R 1,979

$125 R 2,050

-3.45%

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

$31.09 R 509

$18.37 R 301

69.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.99 R 655

$46.20 R 757

-13.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 R 829

$31.19 R 511

62.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 R 197

$12.56 R 206

-4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 R 152

$6.12 R 100

51.31%

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

$266 R 4,354

$143 R 2,337

86.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,497 R 106.4K

$5,417 R 88.7K

19.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 R 959

$73.9 R 1,210

-20.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.00 R 540

$39.03 R 639

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 R 1,970

$113 R 1,850

6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,762

$88.8 R 1,454

21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 R 17.0K

$442 R 7,236

134.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 R 11.9K

$377 R 6,180

92.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 R 30.6K

$802 R 13.1K

132.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 R 22.1K

$949 R 15.5K

42.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 R 39.1K

$889 R 14.6K

168.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,546 R 25.3K

$685 R 11.2K

125.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,613 R 26.4K

$1,387 R 22.7K

16.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

10.92

0.92%

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

Last update for Cape Town: September 14, 2026

Last update for George: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,038 in Cape Town versus $442 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 16% 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $44.00 in George. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $192 – making George the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 39% 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 $2,418 per month in Cape Town and $1,737 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 $1,612 in Cape Town and $1,158 in George. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 117% 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 $1,158, than in Cape Town at $1,612. 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 $1,158 versus $1,612 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.