Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kimberley Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kimberley

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $1,150 in Kimberley, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,948 in Kimberley, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $2,747 in Kimberley, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 43% more than Kimberley, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Kimberley is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 195

$12.56 R 201

-2.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 782

$37.73 R 603

29.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.4

$6.11 R 97.8

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.15

$3.21 R 51.3

-17.76%

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

$1.31 R 21.03

$1.38 R 22.09

-5.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.91

$1.35 R 21.56

-21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.7

$2.73 R 43.69

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 60.7

$2.85 R 45.57

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.05

$1.64 R 26.17

-15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.75

$1.20 R 19.21

2.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.84

$3.11 R 49.70

-29.90%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.64

$2.95 R 47.17

3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 147

$6.80 R 109

35.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 110

$6.26 R 100

10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 149

$8.85 R 142

5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.26

$2.40 R 38.37

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.52

$2.57 R 41.16

-21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.66

$1.78 R 28.52

-6.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.48

$3.38 R 54.0

-34.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.44

$1.52 R 24.32

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.85

$1.54 R 24.63

5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.33

$1.36 R 21.76

-2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.83

$0.95 R 15.22

24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.4

$3.29 R 52.6

9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 99.9

$6.85 R 110

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.47

$2.36 R 37.66

-40.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 37.02

$2.99 R 47.79

-22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.20

$1.59 R 25.46

-8.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 984

$34.25 R 548

79.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.32

$0.64 R 10.31

1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.87

$0.91 R 14.59

78.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.0

$9.11 R 146

-44.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.11

$1.49 R 23.84

5.37%

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

$37.1K R 593.1K

$36.4K R 581.7K

1.97%

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

$33.2K R 530.7K

$32.7K R 523.0K

1.48%

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

$121 R 1,930

$109 R 1,737

11.13%

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

$30.79 R 492

$35.86 R 574

-14.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 633

$42.79 R 684

-7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 811

$23.00 R 368

120.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 189

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 150

$7.37 R 118

26.87%

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

$265 R 4,243

$261 R 4,167

1.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 104.9K

$5,764 R 92.2K

13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 921

$54.0 R 863

6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 530

$34.57 R 553

-4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,932

$106 R 1,692

14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,756

$95.3 R 1,524

15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.6K

$273 R 4,366

279.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.6K

$341 R 5,447

113.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.3K

$660 R 10.6K

187.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.7K

$981 R 15.7K

38.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 39.8K

$885 R 14.2K

180.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.8K

$645 R 10.3K

150.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.3K

$970 R 15.5K

69.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

0.18%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $273 in Kimberley. 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 69% 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $38.00 in Kimberley. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Cape Town vs $238 in Kimberley – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 43% more than Kimberley, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $1,724 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, 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 $1,640 in Cape Town and $1,150 in Kimberley. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,150, than in Cape Town at $1,640. In Kimberley 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. Kimberley costs $1,150 versus $1,640 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 Kimberley. 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.