Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ljungby

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,571 in Ljungby, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. The total is higher in Ljungby despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Ljungby
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Ljungby Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Ljungby

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,571

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,571 in Ljungby, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Ljungby $1,571

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,526 in Ljungby, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Ljungby $2,526

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,480 in Ljungby, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Ljungby $3,480

Cape Town is about 3% cheaper than Ljungby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Ljungby sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Ljungby by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 199

$12.42 SEK 123

-3.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 709

$86.9 SEK 858

-50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

$12.57 SEK 124

-51.07%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.16

$3.91 SEK 38.60

-39.39%

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

$1.27 R 21.03

$2.88 SEK 28.40

-55.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.50

$2.25 SEK 22.24

-58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.92

$6.08 SEK 60.0

-51.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 61.0

$7.56 SEK 74.6

-51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.80

$1.71 SEK 16.91

-22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.93

$2.79 SEK 27.55

-56.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.37

$3.23 SEK 31.89

-31.89%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.3

$3.82 SEK 37.72

-18.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$9.24 SEK 91.2

-5.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$9.68 SEK 95.5

-28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$13.69 SEK 135

-32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.17

$2.79 SEK 27.49

-34.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.22

$2.51 SEK 24.73

-22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.40

$3.01 SEK 29.66

-44.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.30

$4.23 SEK 41.75

-49.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.09

$1.72 SEK 17.01

-8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.37

$1.48 SEK 14.57

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.25

$1.94 SEK 19.19

-30.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.91

$1.23 SEK 12.16

-7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.1

$7.99 SEK 78.8

-55.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 100

$6.06 SEK 59.8

-0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 23.02

$2.11 SEK 20.86

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 36.01

$1.78 SEK 17.59

22.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.09

$3.32 SEK 32.80

-57.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,004

$76.3 SEK 753

-20.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.31

$6.20 SEK 61.2

-85.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.88

$1.73 SEK 17.10

-47.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 82.0

$59.8 SEK 590

-91.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.45

$1.67 SEK 16.45

-7.78%

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

$35.4K R 584.6K

$32.7K SEK 322.5K

8.24%

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

$33.4K R 551.6K

$34.1K SEK 336.5K

-2.13%

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

$117 R 1,935

$50.8 SEK 501

130.41%

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

$25.71 R 425

$19.87 SEK 196

29.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 651

$30.35 SEK 300

29.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 853

$36.58 SEK 361

41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 188

$26.41 SEK 261

-57.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 147

$16.87 SEK 166

-47.30%

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

$308 R 5,085

$217 SEK 2,142

41.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.6K

$4,382 SEK 43.3K

85.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 948

$80.0 SEK 790

-28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 525

$33.76 SEK 333

-5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,917

$88.0 SEK 868

31.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,665

$102 SEK 1,010

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.3K

$802 SEK 7,915

30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.1K

$599 SEK 5,915

11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.8K

$1,378 SEK 13.6K

35.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.3K

$1,026 SEK 10.1K

37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.8K

$4,056 SEK 40.0K

-40.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$2,897 SEK 28.6K

-45.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$2,324 SEK 22.9K

-29.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.06

255.88%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ljungby: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Ljungby

$599 38.1% 10.4% $70

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Ljungby

$309 19.7% 38.6% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Ljungby

$101 6.4% 44.6% $81

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Ljungby

$250 15.9% 43.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Ljungby

$137 8.7% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Ljungby

$104 6.7% 45.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Ljungby

$70 4.5% 1.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $802 in Ljungby. 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 43% higher in Ljungby. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $87 in Ljungby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $309 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇪 Ljungby

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

28,404

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 SEK = 10.13 USD

100 SEK = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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 = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.87 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.02 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Ljungby 10,100 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ljungby

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 Ljungby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ljungby costs about 3% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $2,357 in Ljungby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ljungby, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $802 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,571 in Ljungby. That makes Cape Town about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,571 in Ljungby. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,571 in Ljungby. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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