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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,612 per month in Cape Town vs $1,152 in Grahamstown, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,499 per month in Cape Town vs $1,808 in Grahamstown, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,385 per month in Cape Town vs $2,465 in Grahamstown, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 40% more than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Cape Town sits 18% above the global median, while Grahamstown is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 R 189

$11.26 R 184

2.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.18 R 806

$43.28 R 709

13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 R 100

$6.16 R 101

-0.81%

Cappuccino

$2.48 R 40.68

$2.23 R 36.45

11.21%

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

$1.40 R 23.00

$1.04 R 17.11

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.61

$0.81 R 13.30

24.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 R 51.0

$2.82 R 46.21

10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 R 62.1

$3.30 R 54.0

14.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.00

$1.16 R 18.93

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 R 21.34

$1.09 R 17.78

19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 R 35.35

$1.48 R 24.31

45.95%

Eggs

$3.05 R 49.99

$2.78 R 45.48

9.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 R 146

$8.83 R 145

1.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 R 114

$5.41 R 88.6

28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 R 160

$8.62 R 141

13.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.67

$2.28 R 37.32

-17.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.17

$1.53 R 25.05

24.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.79

$1.74 R 28.42

1.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.54

$1.80 R 29.47

17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.13

$1.78 R 29.12

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.58

$1.42 R 23.23

9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.36

$1.30 R 21.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 R 19.71

$1.02 R 16.66

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 R 60.7

$3.45 R 56.5

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 R 98.3

$4.87 R 79.7

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.50

$1.26 R 20.61

8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 34.96

$1.86 R 30.44

14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.77

$1.58 R 25.93

-4.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 R 1,013

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.53

$0.65 R 10.64

-1.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R 25.96

$0.48 R 7.80

231.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 R 85.3

$8.95 R 147

-41.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.21

$1.46 R 23.91

1.37%

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

$36.4K R 596.0K

$36.8K R 602.4K

-1.06%

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

$32.3K R 529.0K

$35.0K R 573.8K

-7.82%

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

$121 R 1,979

$125 R 2,049

-3.39%

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

$31.09 R 509

$36.45 R 597

-14.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.99 R 655

$45.95 R 753

-12.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 R 829

$33.65 R 551

50.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 R 197

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 R 152

$10.82 R 177

-14.42%

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

$266 R 4,354

$185 R 3,032

43.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,497 R 106.4K

$5,071 R 83.1K

28.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 R 959

$74.2 R 1,215

-21.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.00 R 540

$38.46 R 630

-14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 R 1,970

$116 R 1,904

3.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,762

$101 R 1,651

6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 R 17.0K

$426 R 6,979

143.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 R 11.9K

$375 R 6,139

93.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 R 30.6K

$789 R 12.9K

136.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 R 22.1K

$784 R 12.8K

71.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 R 39.1K

$904 R 14.8K

164.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,546 R 25.3K

$681 R 11.2K

126.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,613 R 26.4K

$1,242 R 20.3K

29.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

11.94

-7.71%

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

Last update for Cape Town: September 14, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,038 in Cape Town versus $426 in Grahamstown. 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 30% 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 $43.00 in Grahamstown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $201 – making Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 40% more than Grahamstown, 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 $1,728 in Grahamstown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grahamstown, 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 $1,152 in Grahamstown. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $266 per month in Cape Town and $185 in Grahamstown. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Grahamstown, where all-in costs run around $1,152, than in Cape Town at $1,612. In Grahamstown 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. Grahamstown costs $1,152 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 Grahamstown. 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.