Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Glyfada

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,599 a month against $1,864 in Glyfada, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,599
/mo nomad
Glyfada
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,864
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Cape Town vs $1,864 in Glyfada, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,599
  • Glyfada $1,864

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Cape Town vs $3,024 in Glyfada, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,460
  • Glyfada $3,024

A family of three spends $3,320 per month in Cape Town vs $4,185 in Glyfada, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,320
  • Glyfada $4,185

Cape Town is about 14% cheaper than Glyfada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Glyfada sit above the global median – Cape Town by 18%, Glyfada by 38%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.07 R 199
$16.53 €14.71
-26.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.65 R 769
$67.8 €60.3
-31.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.20 R 102
$10.07 €8.96
-38.43%
Cappuccino
$2.50 R 41.13
$4.01 €3.56
-37.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 R 22.28
$2.68 €2.38
-49.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00 R 16.47
$0.75 €0.67
33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 R 50.4
$5.49 €4.88
-44.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 R 60.5
$5.69 €5.06
-35.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 R 21.45
$1.89 €1.68
-31.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 R 20.89
$1.38 €1.23
-7.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 R 35.68
$2.63 €2.34
-17.49%
Eggs
$3.09 R 50.9
$4.58 €4.07
-32.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.98 R 148
$15.97 €14.20
-43.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.99 R 115
$10.70 €9.52
-34.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.67 R 159
$15.23 €13.55
-36.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 R 30.78
$2.25 €2.00
-16.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 R 31.72
$2.04 €1.82
-5.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 R 29.13
$1.36 €1.21
30.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 R 35.86
$2.03 €1.81
7.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 R 25.07
$1.23 €1.10
23.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 R 25.63
$1.17 €1.04
33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 R 21.74
$1.08 €0.96
22.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 R 18.97
$0.84 €0.74
36.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.72 R 61.4
$5.49 €4.88
-32.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 R 99.0
$10.12 €9.00
-40.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 R 22.13
$2.34 €2.09
-42.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 R 35.11
$2.83 €2.52
-24.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 R 25.53
$1.36 €1.21
13.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.3 R 1,010
$34.08 €30.31
79.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.60 R 9.85
$4.39 €3.91
-86.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 R 25.36
$1.13 €1.01
36.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.01 R 82.5
$11.24 €9.99
-55.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 R 26.33
$2.24 €1.99
-28.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 583.4K
$28.4K €25.3K
24.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K R 570.9K
$25.0K €22.2K
38.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 R 1,955
$208 €185
-42.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.42 R 485
$26.09 €23.21
12.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.81 R 656
$32.99 €29.35
20.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 R 836
$53.6 €47.70
-5.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.93 R 180
$15.40 €13.70
-29.03%
Cinema Ticket
$8.99 R 148
$9.36 €8.33
-3.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$261 R 4,303
$415 €369
-37.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,966 R 114.8K
$12.5K €11.1K
-44.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 R 925
$87.4 €77.8
-35.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.26 R 548
$39.64 €35.26
-16.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 R 1,999
$104 €92.2
17.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 R 1,779
$124 €111
-13.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 R 16.9K
$1,222 €1,087
-15.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 R 11.9K
$746 €664
-3.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,835 R 30.2K
$2,314 €2,058
-20.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 R 22.4K
$1,693 €1,506
-19.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,407 R 39.6K
$7,573 €6,736
-68.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,504 R 24.8K
$5,265 €4,684
-71.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Glyfada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,649 R 27.2K
$1,218 €1,084
35.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
4.48
144.87%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Glyfada: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$720
Glyfada
$746 3.7% $27
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$226
Glyfada
$306 35.2% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$188
Glyfada
$267 42.1% $79
Eating Out
Cape Town
$177
Glyfada
$263 48.5% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$143
Glyfada
$160 11.4% $16
Getting Around
Cape Town
$76
Glyfada
$50 34.6% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Glyfada
$72 5.3% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Cape Town versus $1,222 in Glyfada. 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 35% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $68.0 in Glyfada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $306 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇬🇷 Glyfada
🕒 Local time
00:39 12:39 AM
01:39 1:39 AM
1 h ahead of Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
87,305
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Glyfada 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Glyfada

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 Glyfada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Glyfada?
Glyfada costs about 17% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Glyfada?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,398 per month in Cape Town and $2,796 in Glyfada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Glyfada?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Glyfada?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,599 in Cape Town and $1,864 in Glyfada. That's a gap of about 17%.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Glyfada?
Public transport costs about 80% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cape Town or in Glyfada?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Glyfada at $1,864. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glyfada it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cape Town or Glyfada?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,599 versus $1,864 in Glyfada. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Cape Town compared to Glyfada?
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.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Glyfada?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glyfada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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