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 $1,276 per month in Cape Town vs $1,014 in Kempton Park, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Cape Town vs $1,579 in Kempton Park, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,706 per month in Cape Town vs $2,145 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 26% more than Kempton Park, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cape Town and Kempton Park are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Kempton Park 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 R 180

$8.31 R 139

29.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.10 R 756

$33.84 R 568

33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 R 87.0

$4.77 R 80.0

8.60%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 33.30

$2.18 R 36.63

-8.72%

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

$1.15 R 19.27

$1.04 R 17.43

10.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.60

$0.82 R 13.80

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 R 45.63

$2.19 R 36.72

24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 R 42.82

$2.59 R 43.37

-1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.21

$1.24 R 20.87

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.74

$1.06 R 17.75

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.72

$1.66 R 27.86

10.24%

Eggs

$2.37 R 39.71

$2.37 R 39.77

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 R 141

$7.62 R 128

10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 R 85.3

$4.69 R 78.6

8.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 R 128

$6.63 R 111

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.37

$1.71 R 28.64

-8.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.72

$1.53 R 25.67

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.18

$1.60 R 26.90

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.53

$1.64 R 27.54

-7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 R 17.96

$1.46 R 24.43

-26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.88

$1.44 R 24.07

-17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.63

$1.09 R 18.28

-3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.49

$1.12 R 18.71

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 51.0

$3.02 R 50.6

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 R 104

$5.47 R 91.8

13.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.56

$1.50 R 25.16

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 R 28.33

$1.85 R 31.07

-8.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.23

$1.36 R 22.81

-28.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.67 R 783

$56.6 R 948

-17.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 23.10

$1.09 R 18.26

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 16.01

$0.94 R 15.84

1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 R 76.8

$4.15 R 69.6

10.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.85

$1.32 R 22.17

-6.06%

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

$21.2K R 354.8K

$22.4K R 375.9K

-5.61%

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

$24.3K R 408.0K

$24.4K R 408.6K

-0.13%

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

$99.6 R 1,670

$124 R 2,082

-19.77%

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

$32.98 R 553

$41.01 R 688

-19.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.97 R 687

$42.95 R 720

-4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 R 688

$25.75 R 432

59.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.02 R 135

$5.57 R 93.4

43.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.69 R 112

$7.35 R 123

-8.98%

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

$212 R 3,558

$206 R 3,451

3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,357 R 89.8K

$4,431 R 74.3K

20.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R 922

$50.7 R 850

8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 R 561

$32.58 R 546

2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 R 1,864

$88.4 R 1,482

25.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 R 1,407

$78.0 R 1,307

7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 R 12.9K

$279 R 4,676

175.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 R 8,524

$255 R 4,283

99.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 24.0K

$693 R 11.6K

106.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 R 17.3K

$563 R 9,437

83.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 R 37.1K

$810 R 13.6K

173.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,436 R 24.1K

$688 R 11.5K

108.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 R 28.0K

$642 R 10.8K

159.89%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Cape Town versus $279 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 160% 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 $34.00 in Kempton Park. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $185 – 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 26% 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 $1,914 per month in Cape Town and $1,520 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 $1,276 in Cape Town and $1,014 in Kempton Park. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 21% 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 $1,014, than in Cape Town at $1,276. 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 $1,014 versus $1,276 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.