Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Jeffreys Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Jeffreys Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,251 per month in Cape Town vs $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,000 per month in Cape Town vs $1,547 in Jeffreys Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Cape Town vs $2,049 in Jeffreys Bay, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 20% more than Jeffreys Bay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cape Town and Jeffreys Bay are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 6% lower, Jeffreys Bay 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 R 174

$5.56 R 90.1

93.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.89 R 727

$34.27 R 555

30.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 79.7

$5.36 R 86.7

-8.21%

Cappuccino

$2.02 R 32.69

$1.78 R 28.83

13.48%

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

$1.16 R 18.80

$0.69 R 11.09

68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.58

$0.96 R 15.54

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 R 45.50

$1.80 R 29.18

56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.63

$1.86 R 30.05

31.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 18.78

$1.07 R 17.39

8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.71

$0.99 R 16.06

10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.63

$1.71 R 27.74

10.53%

Eggs

$2.46 R 39.81

$2.74 R 44.27

-10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 R 142

$5.84 R 94.6

50.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 86.3

$4.69 R 75.9

13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 R 119

$6.82 R 110

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.17

$1.89 R 30.53

-21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.81

$1.46 R 23.64

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.34

$1.55 R 25.03

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.74

$1.65 R 26.72

-7.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.59

$1.36 R 22.03

-19.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.80

$1.19 R 19.27

2.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.55

$1.08 R 17.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.30

$1.04 R 16.81

-8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 50.6

$2.75 R 44.46

13.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 R 103

$3.97 R 64.3

60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.03

$1.42 R 22.94

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.15

$1.77 R 28.58

-5.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R 16.03

$1.61 R 26.03

-38.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.34 R 766

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 R 22.09

$1.15 R 18.66

19.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 R 15.89

$0.88 R 14.21

11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 R 71.9

$3.92 R 63.4

13.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.23

$1.25 R 20.21

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

$21.1K R 341.2K

$21.6K R 349.0K

-2.23%

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

$24.1K R 389.7K

$24.0K R 388.2K

0.38%

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

$99.5 R 1,611

$140 R 2,259

-28.71%

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

$32.81 R 531

$55.2 R 893

-40.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.72 R 659

$59.5 R 964

-31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 R 671

$31.45 R 509

31.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 R 128

$5.44 R 88.0

45.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 110

$6.59 R 107

2.88%

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

$216 R 3,500

$129 R 2,094

67.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,206 R 84.3K

$4,424 R 71.6K

17.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 908

$50.4 R 816

11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.38 R 524

$31.83 R 515

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,822

$87.0 R 1,408

29.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 R 1,349

$81.2 R 1,314

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 R 12.4K

$364 R 5,886

111.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 R 8,494

$320 R 5,186

63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 R 23.0K

$699 R 11.3K

102.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R 16.3K

$588 R 9,516

71.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 R 38.4K

$822 R 13.3K

188.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R 24.5K

$725 R 11.7K

108.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 R 27.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.51

2.26%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 15, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Cape Town versus $364 in Jeffreys Bay. 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $34.00 in Jeffreys Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $174 – making Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 20% more than Jeffreys Bay, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,877 per month in Cape Town and $1,568 in Jeffreys Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeffreys Bay, 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 $1,251 in Cape Town and $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $216 per month in Cape Town and $129 in Jeffreys Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeffreys Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,045, than in Cape Town at $1,251. In Jeffreys Bay 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. Jeffreys Bay costs $1,045 versus $1,251 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Jeffreys Bay. 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.