Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $557 in Lome, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Lome $557

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $980 in Lome, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Lome $980

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,404 in Lome, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Lome $1,404

Cape Town costs about 181% more than Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Lome is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

300.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

52.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

5.67%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

-56.28%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

-68.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.70 F CFA 407

47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$0.96 F CFA 560

213.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

110.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.36 F CFA 795

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.49 F CFA 872

41.61%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

47.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

62.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

-37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.67 F CFA 976

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

-18.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.18 F CFA 692

26.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.83 F CFA 487

39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.09 F CFA 640

27.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.40 F CFA 820

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$1.22 F CFA 714

25.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

13.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.23 F CFA 720

28.46%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

$146 F CFA 85.6K

-20.42%

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

$28.37 R 468

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

33.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

-3.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

-19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

26.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

109.24%

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$294 F CFA 172.2K

352.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$295 F CFA 172.7K

454.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Lome

$140 * 25% 37.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Lome

$210 37.4% 13.1% $24

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Lome

$136 24.3% 21.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1% 91.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Lome

$69 12.3% 3.6% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 454% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $31.00 in Lome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $140 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

13:18 1:18 PM

11:18 11:18 AM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Lome 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 181% more than Lome, 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 $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $836 in Lome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $557 in Lome. That's a gap of about 181%.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Lome 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. Lome costs $557 versus $1,568 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 Lome. 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.