Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $202 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $202 in Lelydorp, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Lelydorp $202

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $410 in Lelydorp, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Lelydorp $410

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $619 in Lelydorp, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Lelydorp $619

Cape Town costs about 657% more than Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Lelydorp is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$5.13 SRD 192

134.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$34.78 SRD 1,299

23.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$5.83 SRD 218

5.49%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.22 SRD 45.68

4.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$0.43 SRD 16.17

118.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$2.05 SRD 76.6

44.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$2.95 SRD 110

25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.22 SRD 45.69

8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$0.99 SRD 36.95

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$1.22 SRD 45.63

80.33%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$2.84 SRD 106

9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$4.11 SRD 154

67.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$8.22 SRD 307

12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$1.51 SRD 56.5

29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$0.98 SRD 36.60

61.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.02 SRD 37.93

44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$0.89 SRD 33.14

28.09%

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

$2.04 SRD 76.1

-31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$0.51 SRD 19.10

174.51%

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

$0.93 SRD 34.86

65.59%

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-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

$301 SRD 11.2K

442.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

-35.94%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Cape Town are about 5.4 times higher, 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 $43 in Cape Town versus $35 in Lelydorp. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $118 – making Lelydorp the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

5 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

19,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 SRD = 2.68 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR 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 = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 37.35 SRD (100 SRD = 2.68 USD). 1 EUR = 41.95 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Lelydorp 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 657% more than Lelydorp, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $303 in Lelydorp. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $202 in Lelydorp. That makes Lelydorp about 87% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Lelydorp, where all-in costs run around $202, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Lelydorp 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 $202 in Lelydorp to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lelydorp. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.