Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Härnösand

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,797 in Härnösand, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Härnösand despite lower rent and utilities.

Cape Town, South Africa
Härnösand, Sweden
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Härnösand
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,797
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,797 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Härnösand $1,797

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,733 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Härnösand $2,733

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,670 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Härnösand $3,670

Cape Town is about 15% cheaper than Härnösand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Härnösand sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Härnösand by 33%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 199
$13.20 SEK 130
-9.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 709
$85.8 SEK 847
-49.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 102
$11.67 SEK 115
-47.30%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.16
$4.35 SEK 42.96
-45.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 21.03
$2.86 SEK 28.24
-55.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.50
$2.46 SEK 24.30
-61.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.92
$7.85 SEK 77.4
-62.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 61.0
$7.47 SEK 73.7
-50.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.80
$1.77 SEK 17.47
-25.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.93
$2.82 SEK 27.85
-57.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.37
$3.68 SEK 36.36
-40.22%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.3
$4.05 SEK 39.94
-23.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$10.79 SEK 107
-19.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$13.49 SEK 133
-48.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$16.65 SEK 164
-44.38%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.17
$3.09 SEK 30.45
-40.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.22
$2.25 SEK 22.25
-13.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.40
$3.16 SEK 31.17
-47.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.30
$4.18 SEK 41.28
-48.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.09
$1.51 SEK 14.93
4.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.37
$1.60 SEK 15.79
-8.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.25
$2.49 SEK 24.61
-45.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.91
$1.32 SEK 12.99
-13.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.1
$7.25 SEK 71.6
-50.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 100
$11.06 SEK 109
-45.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 23.02
$2.08 SEK 20.53
-33.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 36.01
$2.18 SEK 21.47
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.09
$3.27 SEK 32.27
-57.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,004
$86.1 SEK 850
-29.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.31
$5.37 SEK 53.0
-82.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.88
$1.57 SEK 15.45
-42.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 82.0
$66.9 SEK 660
-92.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.45
$1.64 SEK 16.16
-6.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 584.6K
$31.0K SEK 305.9K
14.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 551.6K
$31.8K SEK 314.0K
4.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,935
$90.4 SEK 892
29.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 425
$20.71 SEK 204
24.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 651
$45.99 SEK 454
-14.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 853
$41.10 SEK 406
25.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 188
$23.54 SEK 232
-51.78%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 147
$17.81 SEK 176
-50.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,085
$171 SEK 1,683
80.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.6K
$5,154 SEK 50.9K
57.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 948
$98.4 SEK 971
-41.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 525
$35.29 SEK 348
-10.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,917
$79.0 SEK 780
46.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,665
$124 SEK 1,225
-18.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.3K
$752 SEK 7,426
39.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.1K
$671 SEK 6,624
-0.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.8K
$1,307 SEK 12.9K
42.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.3K
$961 SEK 9,484
46.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.8K
$4,097 SEK 40.4K
-41.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$3,003 SEK 29.6K
-47.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Härnösand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
3.38
222.19%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Härnösand: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Härnösand
$671 0.3% $2.1
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Härnösand
$359 61% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Härnösand
$157 13.8% $25
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Härnösand
$268 54.2% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Härnösand
$152 10.2% $14
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Härnösand
$112 56.6% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Härnösand
$77 10.5% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $752 in Härnösand. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $86 in Härnösand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $359 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇸🇪 Härnösand
🕒 Local time
14:24 2:24 PM
13:24 1:24 PM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
24,689
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.87 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Härnösand 10,740 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Härnösand

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 Härnösand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Härnösand?
Härnösand costs about 18% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Härnösand?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,695 in Härnösand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Härnösand?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Härnösand, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $752 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Härnösand?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,797 in Härnösand. That makes Cape Town about 15% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Härnösand?
Public transport costs about 29% 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 Härnösand?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,797 in Härnösand. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cape Town or Härnösand?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,797 in Härnösand. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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