Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Les Escaldes

For one person, living is cheaper in Les Escaldes: $356 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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

Les Escaldes

🇦🇩 Andorra

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Les Escaldes

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $356 in Les Escaldes, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Les Escaldes $356

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $1,777 in Les Escaldes, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Les Escaldes $1,777

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,198 in Les Escaldes, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Les Escaldes $3,198

Cape Town costs about 329% more than Les Escaldes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Les Escaldes is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$14.74 €13.13

-18.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$39.93 €35.56

7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$13.36 €11.89

-53.97%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$2.59 €2.31

-8.49%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$2.45 €2.18

-48.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$1.70 €1.51

-44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$3.04 €2.70

-2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$3.12 €2.78

18.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$2.16 €1.92

-38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$4.16 €3.71

-25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$16.64 €14.82

-44.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$3.82 €3.40

-52.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$5.68 €5.06

-36.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$6.56 €5.84

-7.77%

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

$2.20 €1.96

-36.36%

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

$1.83 €1.63

-15.85%

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

$2,757 €2,455

-32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$2,214 €1,972

-36.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$11.2K €9,934

-85.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$2,678 €2,385

-39.15%

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 Les Escaldes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Les Escaldes

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Les Escaldes

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Les Escaldes

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Les Escaldes

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Les Escaldes

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Les Escaldes

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Les Escaldes

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 64% higher in Les Escaldes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $40 in Les Escaldes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $120 – making Les Escaldes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇦🇩 Les Escaldes

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

15,853

💱 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 Les Escaldes 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Les Escaldes

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 Les Escaldes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 329% more than Les Escaldes, 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 $534 in Les Escaldes. 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 $356 in Les Escaldes. That makes Les Escaldes about 77% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Les Escaldes, where all-in costs run around $356, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Les Escaldes 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 $356 in Les Escaldes to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.