Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kisii

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $304 in Kisii, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Kisii $304

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $442 in Kisii, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Kisii $442

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $580 in Kisii, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Kisii $580

Cape Town costs about 422% more than Kisii, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Kisii is 77% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.76 KES 357

339.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.40 KES 182

78.57%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.81 KES 105

56.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.22 KES 28.51

345.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$1.83 KES 238

63.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.26 KES 293

64.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.86 KES 112

51.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.51 KES 66.2

145.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.26 KES 294

-1.33%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.86 KES 241

67.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$4.48 KES 581

107.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.89 KES 246

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.41 KES 52.8

265.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$15.51 KES 2,011

291.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.80 KES 104

-26.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.53 KES 198

1.31%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$11.4K KES 1.5M

174.95%

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

$114 R 1,883

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

$28.91 R 476

$16.09 KES 2,086

79.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$48.10 KES 6,236

-17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

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

$259 R 4,264

$38.12 KES 4,942

578.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$11.66 KES 1,512

381.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$38.59 KES 5,003

212.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$30.38 KES 3,939

255.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$75.6 KES 9,804

848.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$151 KES 19.6K

776.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kisii: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Kisii

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Kisii

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Kisii

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Kisii

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Kisii

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Kisii

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Kisii

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇪 Kisii

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

00:05 12:05 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

200,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Kisii 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Kisii

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 Kisii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 422% more than Kisii, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $456 in Kisii. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $304 in Kisii. That's a gap of about 422%.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $38.12 in Kisii. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kisii, where all-in costs run around $304, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Kisii 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. Kisii costs $304 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 Kisii. 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.