Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $613 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $613 in Islamabad, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Islamabad $613

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $951 in Islamabad, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Islamabad $951

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,289 in Islamabad, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Islamabad $1,289

Cape Town costs about 156% more than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Islamabad is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$3.55 PKR 983

231.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$23.32 PKR 6,453

99.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$5.50 PKR 1,522

8.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 PKR 971

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.72 PKR 753

-9.19%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.35 PKR 97.4

280.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.23 PKR 63.8

347.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$0.99 PKR 273

40.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.73 PKR 201

63.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.24 PKR 342

70.16%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$1.31 PKR 363

129.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$6.12 PKR 1,695

46.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$3.23 PKR 893

105.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$5.44 PKR 1,506

70.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.35 PKR 375

35.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$0.86 PKR 239

120.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.08 PKR 298

62.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.55 PKR 153

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.28 PKR 78.3

453.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.36 PKR 98.6

313.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.30 PKR 83.5

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.42 PKR 115

176.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 549

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 PKR 347

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PKR 715

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$2.32 PKR 642

59.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.20 PKR 54.5

655.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$21.45 PKR 5,936

184.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$1.23 PKR 339

-48.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.75 PKR 209

104.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$1.64 PKR 454

193.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.39 PKR 385

13.67%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$53.8K PKR 14.9M

-34.04%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

32.34%

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

$116 R 1,920

$103 PKR 28.5K

13.14%

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

$28.37 R 468

$5.76 PKR 1,594

392.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$16.49 PKR 4,565

146.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$29.77 PKR 8,240

64.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$8.62 PKR 2,386

29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$4.45 PKR 1,233

98.43%

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

$261 R 4,314

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

250.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$5,023 PKR 1.4M

33.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$24.55 PKR 6,793

125.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$34.19 PKR 9,461

-5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$96.0 PKR 26.6K

22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$40.93 PKR 11.3K

161.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$272 PKR 75.2K

273.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$137 PKR 38.0K

420.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$572 PKR 158.4K

214.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$275 PKR 76.0K

384.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$1,677 PKR 464.1K

38.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$820 PKR 227.0K

84.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$379 PKR 104.8K

331.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

13.08

-16.13%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Islamabad

$137 22.9% 80.8% $578

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Islamabad

$105 17.5% 52.8% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Islamabad

$125 20.8% 32.5% $60

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 54% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Islamabad

$88 14.6% 37.3% $52

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 63.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Islamabad

$39 6.4% 41.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $272 in Islamabad. 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 332% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $105 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

18:50 6:50 PM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

1,009,832 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Islamabad 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Islamabad

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 Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 156% more than Islamabad, 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 $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $919 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Islamabad, 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 $1,568 in Cape Town and $613 in Islamabad. That's a gap of about 156%.

Public transport costs about 184% less in Islamabad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islamabad, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Islamabad 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. Islamabad costs $613 versus $1,568 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 Islamabad. 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.