Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Jizan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jizan: $930 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Jizan
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Jizan Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Jizan

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $930 in Jizan, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Jizan $930

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,530 in Jizan, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Jizan $1,530

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $2,131 in Jizan, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Jizan $2,131

Cape Town costs about 71% more than Jizan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Jizan is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$5.20 SAR 19.53

133.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$37.15 SAR 139

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$7.18 SAR 26.92

-18.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$3.16 SAR 11.88

-20.89%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.73 SAR 2.74

73.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.28 SAR 1.06

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.94 SAR 3.53

32.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.24 SAR 8.40

-0.45%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$2.97 SAR 11.15

4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$7.95 SAR 29.82

13.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$5.09 SAR 19.08

35.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$14.87 SAR 55.8

-37.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.86 SAR 6.98

-1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.57 SAR 5.90

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$1.43 SAR 5.35

51.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.33 SAR 4.99

18.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.43 SAR 5.35

3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.27 SAR 4.75

2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.74 SAR 2.77

52.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$6.50 SAR 24.41

-44.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.07 SAR 4.03

40.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$23.19 SAR 87.0

161.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$2.71 SAR 10.18

-78.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$3.24 SAR 12.15

-53.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$15.88 SAR 59.6

-67.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.61 SAR 2.29

154.10%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$43.6K SAR 163.5K

-16.90%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$17.6K SAR 65.9K

78.00%

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

$114 R 1,883

$103 SAR 388

10.46%

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

$28.91 R 476

$37.07 SAR 139

-22.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$64.1 SAR 241

-38.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$98.6 SAR 370

-50.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$37.70 SAR 141

-70.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$16.03 SAR 60.1

-42.92%

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

$259 R 4,264

$199 SAR 749

29.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$4,125 SAR 15.5K

64.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$32.30 SAR 121

73.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$54.8 SAR 205

-40.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$120 SAR 450

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$46.80 SAR 176

130.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$262 SAR 982

290.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$132 SAR 494

444.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$475 SAR 1,783

283.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$361 SAR 1,353

268.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$805 SAR 3,019

197.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$1,614 SAR 6,057

1.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

119.40%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jizan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Jizan

$132 14.2% 81.6% $585

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Jizan

$197 21.2% 12.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Jizan

$205 22% 11.9% $22

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Jizan

$105 11.3% 40.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Jizan

$114 12.3% 20% $29

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Jizan

$46 5% 38% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Jizan

$131 14.1% 94% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $262 in Jizan. 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 2% 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $37.00 in Jizan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $197 – making Jizan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇦 Jizan

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

127,743

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Jizan 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Jizan

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 Jizan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 71% more than Jizan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,394 in Jizan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jizan, 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 $930 in Jizan. That's a gap of about 71%.

Public transport costs about 162% less in Jizan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jizan, where all-in costs run around $930, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Jizan 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. Jizan costs $930 versus $1,586 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 Jizan. 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.