Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Hafnarfjordur $3,877

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Hafnarfjordur $5,400

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Hafnarfjordur $6,923

Cape Town is about 59% cheaper than Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Hafnarfjordur sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Hafnarfjordur by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$31.03 ISK 3,763

-60.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$124 ISK 15.0K

-63.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$16.27 ISK 1,973

-63.86%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$6.88 ISK 835

-63.66%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$3.27 ISK 396

-61.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$3.07 ISK 372

-68.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$14.18 ISK 1,720

-78.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$12.22 ISK 1,482

-69.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.70 ISK 207

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$4.18 ISK 507

-70.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$3.61 ISK 438

-38.23%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$7.19 ISK 872

-56.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$21.88 ISK 2,654

-58.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$24.76 ISK 3,003

-72.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$42.29 ISK 5,130

-78.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$3.41 ISK 413

-46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.50 ISK 303

-21.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$3.18 ISK 386

-47.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$6.33 ISK 767

-65.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$3.87 ISK 469

-59.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.69 ISK 205

-12.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$3.69 ISK 447

-64.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$1.81 ISK 220

-37.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$13.80 ISK 1,674

-73.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$23.94 ISK 2,904

-74.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$3.54 ISK 430

-61.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$3.43 ISK 416

-37.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$5.21 ISK 632

-71.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

-28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$6.58 ISK 798

-91.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.80 ISK 339

-46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$80.9 ISK 9,810

-93.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$2.04 ISK 248

-24.02%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

-29.44%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-41.39%

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

$114 R 1,883

$70.7 ISK 8,571

61.77%

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

$28.91 R 476

$33.02 ISK 4,005

-12.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

-54.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$64.9 ISK 7,870

-24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$17.05 ISK 2,068

-46.33%

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

$259 R 4,264

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

-78.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-73.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$124 ISK 15.0K

-54.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$65.8 ISK 7,980

-50.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$125 ISK 15.2K

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$252 ISK 30.6K

-57.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

-59.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

-65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

-43.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

-49.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

-66.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

-77.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

-65.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

8.81

24.52%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8% 191% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16% 175% $394

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9% 4.2% $7.8

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9% 184% $324

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6% 78.7% $112

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3% 69.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 47.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. 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 190% higher in Hafnarfjordur, 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $124 in Hafnarfjordur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $619 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

31,525

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Hafnarfjordur 11,460 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Hafnarfjordur

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 Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafnarfjordur costs about 145% 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $5,816 in Hafnarfjordur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. That's a gap of about 145%.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,586, than in Hafnarfjordur at $3,877. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hafnarfjordur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,586 versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hafnarfjordur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.