Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $474 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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

$1,568

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $474 in Mary, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Mary $474

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $705 in Mary, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Mary $705

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $936 in Mary, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Mary $936

Cape Town costs about 231% more than Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Mary is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$11.60 TMT 38.99

1.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$8.30 TMT 27.88

-28.19%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$8.78 TMT 29.51

-71.87%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$12.63 TMT 42.44

-89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$1.41 TMT 4.73

-26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$14.48 TMT 48.65

-79.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$11.57 TMT 38.88

-68.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$2.89 TMT 9.69

-51.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$6.81 TMT 22.87

-55.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.23 TMT 7.50

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$1.38 TMT 4.63

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$2.05 TMT 6.89

-24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.73 TMT 5.83

-13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$1.16 TMT 3.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$16.92 TMT 56.9

-78.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

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

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

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

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

$28.37 R 468

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

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

$208 TMT 700

685.57%

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 Mary: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 686% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

13:18 1:18 PM

16:18 4:18 PM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

123,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Mary 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 231% more than Mary, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $711 in Mary. 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 $474 in Mary. That's a gap of about 231%.

Groceries cost about 128% 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 Mary, where all-in costs run around $474, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Mary 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. Mary costs $474 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mary. 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.