Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kourou

For one person, living is cheaper in Kourou: $174 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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

$1,527

/mo nomad

Kourou

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $174 in Kourou, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Kourou $174

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $303 in Kourou, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Kourou $303

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $432 in Kourou, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Kourou $432

Cape Town costs about 779% more than Kourou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Kourou is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

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

$1.27 R 20.96

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$2.00 €1.78

-39.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$6.61 €5.89

-53.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$4.32 €3.84

-57.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.27 €2.02

-14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$7.77 €6.92

-72.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$2.43 €2.16

-34.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$6.90 €6.14

-78.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$2.22 €1.98

-39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.94 €1.72

-41.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

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

$117 R 1,929

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

$25.71 R 424

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

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

$308 R 5,069

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$1,422 €1,266

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kourou: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Kourou

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Kourou

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Kourou

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Kourou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Kourou

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Kourou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Kourou

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,422 in Kourou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇬🇫 Kourou

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

5 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

24,903

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Kourou 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Kourou

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 Kourou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 779% more than Kourou, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $261 in Kourou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,422 in Kourou.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $174 in Kourou. That makes Kourou about 89% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kourou, where all-in costs run around $174, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Kourou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $174 in Kourou to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.