Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $958 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $958 in Kostanay, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Kostanay $958

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,445 in Kostanay, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Kostanay $1,445

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,932 in Kostanay, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Kostanay $1,932

Cape Town costs about 66% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Kostanay is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$5.42 ₸2,452

123.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$29.19 ₸13.2K

55.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$7.13 ₸3,223

-17.53%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.20 ₸992

13.64%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$1.13 ₸509

12.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.91 ₸413

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$1.42 ₸644

110.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.68 ₸1,212

38.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.26 ₸570

3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.53 ₸240

135.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.07 ₸483

108.41%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$2.18 ₸988

42.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$10.47 ₸4,732

-13.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$5.93 ₸2,682

16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$8.35 ₸3,774

11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.58 ₸713

16.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.29 ₸1,033

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.85 ₸835

-9.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$2.30 ₸1,040

-5.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.58 ₸264

170.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.65 ₸294

127.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.20 ₸544

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.89 ₸404

26.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.50 ₸1,131

44.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$8.16 ₸3,689

-24.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.10 ₸496

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.27 ₸1,025

-5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.34 ₸155

341.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.89 ₸403

-33.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.09 ₸492

37.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$5.84 ₸2,641

-12.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.64 ₸288

142.19%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$30.8K ₸13.9M

17.73%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$30.7K ₸13.9M

1.65%

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

$114 R 1,883

$78.5 ₸35.5K

45.59%

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

$28.91 R 476

$11.07 ₸5,005

161.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$16.05 ₸7,253

147.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$47.87 ₸21.6K

2.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$20.28 ₸9,167

-45.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$4.20 ₸1,900

117.86%

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

$259 R 4,264

$213 ₸96.1K

21.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$6,512 ₸2.9M

4.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$94.6 ₸42.7K

-40.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$54.4 ₸24.6K

-40.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$111 ₸50.1K

8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$91.7 ₸41.5K

17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$394 ₸177.9K

159.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$316 ₸142.9K

126.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$600 ₸271.0K

204.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$481 ₸217.2K

176.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,183 ₸534.7K

102.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$929 ₸420.0K

65.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$658 ₸297.3K

149.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

18.5

-40.70%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Kostanay

$316 33% 55.9% $401

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Kostanay

$202 21.1% 10% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Kostanay

$106 11% 42.3% $77

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Kostanay

$112 11.7% 36.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Kostanay

$158 16.5% 10.7% $15

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Kostanay

$7.7 * 0.8% 89.7% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Kostanay

$56 5.9% 16.4% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $394 in Kostanay. 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 149% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $202 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

4 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

264,446

💱 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 Kostanay 10,630 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 66% more than Kostanay, 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 $1,437 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, 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 $958 in Kostanay. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $213 in Kostanay. 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 Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Kostanay 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. Kostanay costs $958 versus $1,586 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 Kostanay. 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.