Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Kumasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $488 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kumasi
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Kumasi Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Kumasi

🇬🇭 Ghana

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $488 in Kumasi, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Kumasi $488

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $805 in Kumasi, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Kumasi $805

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,123 in Kumasi, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Kumasi $1,123

Cape Town costs about 225% more than Kumasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Kumasi is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$3.50 GHS 40.74

246.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$33.71 GHS 392

34.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$10.15 GHS 118

-42.07%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.08 GHS 12.53

131.48%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.71 GHS 8.22

78.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.26 GHS 3.05

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$0.91 GHS 10.53

228.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$1.66 GHS 19.34

124.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.78 GHS 20.65

-26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.64 GHS 19.09

-23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.75 GHS 20.35

27.43%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$2.39 GHS 27.81

30.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$5.49 GHS 63.8

65.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$4.54 GHS 52.8

52.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$4.81 GHS 55.9

93.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.68 GHS 19.50

9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$0.83 GHS 9.66

136.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.84 GHS 9.73

98.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$2.10 GHS 24.39

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.66 GHS 19.34

-5.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.28 GHS 14.89

15.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.75 GHS 8.70

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.57 GHS 6.59

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$0.87 GHS 10.18

313.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$1.25 GHS 14.56

392.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.22 GHS 14.22

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.40 GHS 27.88

-10.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.52 GHS 6.09

188.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$20.34 GHS 237

198.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.82 GHS 9.49

-28.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.24 GHS 14.44

20.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$1.72 GHS 20.03

197.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.13 GHS 13.18

37.17%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$7,902 GHS 91.9K

358.19%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$9,972 GHS 116.0K

213.34%

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

$114 R 1,883

$41.97 GHS 488

172.39%

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

$28.91 R 476

$19.43 GHS 226

48.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$42.24 GHS 491

-5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$30.23 GHS 352

62.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$12.60 GHS 147

-27.38%

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

$259 R 4,264

$459 GHS 5,337

-43.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$5,536 GHS 64.4K

22.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$14.50 GHS 169

287.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$18.32 GHS 213

76.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$35.88 GHS 417

236.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$51.8 GHS 602

108.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

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

$408 GHS 4,750

301.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

26.75

-58.99%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kumasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Kumasi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Kumasi

$162 33.3% 27.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Kumasi

$104 21.2% 43.3% $79

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Kumasi

$83 17% 52.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Kumasi

$54 11.1% 62% $89

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Kumasi

$29 6% 60.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Kumasi

$55 11.4% 17.7% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 301% 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 Kumasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $162 – making Kumasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇬🇭 Kumasi

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

1,517,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Kumasi 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Kumasi

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 Kumasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 225% more than Kumasi, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $732 in Kumasi. 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 $488 in Kumasi. That's a gap of about 225%.

Public transport costs about 199% less in Kumasi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Kumasi 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. Kumasi costs $488 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 Kumasi. 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.