Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Madaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Madaba: $765 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Madaba
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Madaba Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Madaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $765 in Madaba, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Madaba $765

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,349 in Madaba, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Madaba $1,349

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,932 in Madaba, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Madaba $1,932

Cape Town costs about 107% more than Madaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Madaba is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$5.54 JOD 3.92

119.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$49.14 JOD 34.79

-7.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$6.44 JOD 4.56

-8.70%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$3.56 JOD 2.52

-29.78%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.61 JOD 0.43

108.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.61 JOD 0.43

60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$4.36 JOD 3.08

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$6.85 JOD 4.85

-45.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.39 JOD 0.99

-6.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.66 JOD 0.47

89.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.57 JOD 1.11

42.04%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.72 JOD 1.22

80.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$4.32 JOD 3.06

109.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$5.56 JOD 3.94

24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$12.75 JOD 9.02

-27.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.66 JOD 1.88

-30.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.44 JOD 1.02

36.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.78 JOD 1.26

-6.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.73 JOD 0.52

197.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.73 JOD 0.51

115.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.69 JOD 0.49

114.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.34 JOD 0.24

282.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.55 JOD 0.39

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.13 JOD 1.51

69.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$20.90 JOD 14.80

-70.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$4.86 JOD 3.44

-71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$5.03 JOD 3.56

-57.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.88 JOD 0.62

70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$71.6 JOD 50.7

-15.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.58 JOD 0.41

1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.39 JOD 0.98

7.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$7.16 JOD 5.07

-28.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.43 JOD 1.02

8.39%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$35.4K JOD 25.1K

2.17%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$34.9K JOD 24.7K

-10.47%

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

$114 R 1,883

$69.2 JOD 49.02

65.11%

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

$28.91 R 476

$13.83 JOD 9.79

109.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$20.89 JOD 14.79

90.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$28.60 JOD 20.25

71.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$69.2 JOD 49.02

-84.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$11.25 JOD 7.97

-18.67%

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

$259 R 4,264

$41.99 JOD 29.73

516.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$9,676 JOD 6,851

-29.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$63.2 JOD 44.72

-11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$57.0 JOD 40.32

-43.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$69.9 JOD 49.48

72.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$43.11 JOD 30.52

150.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$210 JOD 149

386.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$42.56 JOD 30.13

1584.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$419 JOD 297

335.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$210 JOD 149

531.56%

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

$495 JOD 351

230.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.81

61.09%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Madaba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Madaba

$43 5.6% 94.1% $674

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Madaba

$233 30.5% 3.6% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Madaba

$104 13.6% 43.2% $79

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Madaba

$147 19.2% 16.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Madaba

$105 13.7% 26.5% $38

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Madaba

$83 10.8% 10.5% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Madaba

$51 6.7% 24.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $210 in Madaba. 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 231% 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 $49.00 in Madaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $233 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇯🇴 Madaba

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

65,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Madaba 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Madaba

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 Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 107% more than Madaba, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,147 in Madaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madaba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $765 in Madaba. That's a gap of about 107%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Madaba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Madaba, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Madaba 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. Madaba costs $765 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 Madaba. 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.