Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 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 Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $926 in Karaganda, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Karaganda $926

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,492 in Karaganda, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Karaganda $1,492

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $2,058 in Karaganda, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Karaganda $2,058

Cape Town costs about 71% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$9.85 ₸4,452

23.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$35.09 ₸15.9K

29.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$5.43 ₸2,453

8.29%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.92 ₸869

30.21%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.91 ₸413

39.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.64 ₸290

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$1.36 ₸617

119.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.80 ₸1,267

32.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.34 ₸605

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.49 ₸222

155.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.32 ₸597

68.94%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.79 ₸808

73.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$13.12 ₸5,929

-30.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$5.40 ₸2,442

28.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$11.19 ₸5,060

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.49 ₸673

23.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.89 ₸856

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.87 ₸1,299

-41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$2.17 ₸979

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.67 ₸301

134.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.59 ₸267

150.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.03 ₸467

26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.69 ₸310

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.25 ₸1,016

60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$8.43 ₸3,813

-27.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.35 ₸610

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.12 ₸957

0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.21 ₸94.9

614.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$15.75 ₸7,119

285.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$1.26 ₸568

-53.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.20 ₸541

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$3.31 ₸1,496

54.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.56 ₸254

176.79%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$22.0K ₸10.0M

64.21%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$31.9K ₸14.4M

-2.19%

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

$114 R 1,883

$72.2 ₸32.7K

58.25%

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

$28.91 R 476

$10.01 ₸4,523

188.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$11.86 ₸5,360

234.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$46.00 ₸20.8K

6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$18.82 ₸8,505

-41.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$5.34 ₸2,416

71.35%

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

$259 R 4,264

$135 ₸60.8K

92.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$58.9 ₸26.6K

-4.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$57.8 ₸26.1K

-43.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$79.1 ₸35.8K

52.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$85.6 ₸38.7K

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$394 ₸178.2K

158.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$273 ₸123.2K

162.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$738 ₸333.5K

147.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$536 ₸242.3K

147.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,053 ₸476.1K

127.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$711 ₸321.5K

116.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$569 ₸257.3K

187.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

19.25

-43.01%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Karaganda

$273 29.5% 62% $444

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Karaganda

$215 23.2% 4.3% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Karaganda

$94 10.2% 48.6% $89

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Karaganda

$137 14.8% 22.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Karaganda

$127 13.7% 11.3% $16

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Karaganda

$24 2.6% 68.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Karaganda

$57 6.1% 15.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $394 in Karaganda. 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 188% 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 $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $215 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

11:57 11:57 AM

4 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

520,486

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Karaganda 10,750 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Karaganda

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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 71% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,389 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, 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 $926 in Karaganda. That's a gap of about 71%.

Public transport costs about 286% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Karaganda 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. Karaganda costs $926 versus $1,586 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 Karaganda. 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.