Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kempton Park Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kempton Park

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,288 per month in Cape Town vs $985 in Kempton Park, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $1,579 in Kempton Park, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,735 per month in Cape Town vs $2,172 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 31% more than Kempton Park, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cape Town and Kempton Park are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 3% lower, Kempton Park 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 R 181

$8.60 R 142

27.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.62 R 751

$34.10 R 561

33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 R 83.9

$4.83 R 79.5

5.59%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R 34.17

$2.23 R 36.78

-6.73%

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

$1.10 R 18.18

$0.99 R 16.28

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.35

$0.81 R 13.36

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 R 46.98

$2.30 R 37.78

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R 42.46

$2.46 R 40.56

4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.33

$1.25 R 20.51

-11.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.84

$1.03 R 16.91

4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.23

$1.65 R 27.20

11.52%

Eggs

$2.41 R 39.69

$2.49 R 40.95

-3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 140

$7.75 R 128

9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 R 87.0

$4.68 R 77.0

12.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 R 127

$6.73 R 111

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.51

$1.67 R 27.52

-10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

$1.56 R 25.67

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.84

$1.60 R 26.40

-9.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.01

$1.68 R 27.71

-9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.81

$1.50 R 24.72

-28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.43

$1.38 R 22.70

-10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.35

$1.08 R 17.82

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.61

$1.12 R 18.40

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R 49.52

$2.91 R 47.88

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.6

$5.45 R 89.8

11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 R 23.13

$1.51 R 24.90

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.71

$1.84 R 30.36

-8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R 15.82

$1.38 R 22.73

-30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.42 R 797

$56.8 R 935

-14.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.73

$1.10 R 18.13

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.55

$0.91 R 14.97

10.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 R 72.7

$4.08 R 67.1

8.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.54

$1.31 R 21.56

-9.16%

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

$21.7K R 356.4K

$22.0K R 362.5K

-1.68%

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

$24.1K R 396.6K

$23.9K R 393.8K

0.72%

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

$98.2 R 1,616

$124 R 2,047

-21.05%

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

$33.13 R 545

$41.08 R 676

-19.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.84 R 672

$43.13 R 710

-5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.19 R 695

$26.10 R 430

61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.90 R 130

$5.63 R 92.6

40.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 R 114

$7.34 R 121

-5.99%

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

$213 R 3,502

$204 R 3,358

4.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,327 R 87.7K

$4,267 R 70.3K

24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 R 898

$49.80 R 820

9.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 R 550

$32.28 R 531

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,897

$87.4 R 1,439

31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 R 1,390

$77.3 R 1,272

9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.4K

$282 R 4,648

165.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R 8,593

$259 R 4,264

101.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 R 23.2K

$683 R 11.2K

106.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 R 16.9K

$567 R 9,329

80.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 R 37.9K

$839 R 13.8K

174.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,476 R 24.3K

$667 R 11.0K

121.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,593 R 26.2K

$634 R 10.4K

151.33%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $750 in Cape Town versus $282 in Kempton Park. 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 151% 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 $46.00 in Cape Town versus $34.00 in Kempton Park. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $186 – making Kempton Park 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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 31% more than Kempton Park, 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 $1,932 per month in Cape Town and $1,478 in Kempton Park. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kempton Park, 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 $1,288 in Cape Town and $985 in Kempton Park. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Kempton Park. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kempton Park, where all-in costs run around $985, than in Cape Town at $1,288. In Kempton Park 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. Kempton Park costs $985 versus $1,288 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 Kempton Park. 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.