Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Masjed Soleyman

For one person, living is cheaper in Masjed Soleyman: $520 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Masjed Soleyman
Learn more

Masjed Soleyman Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Masjed Soleyman

🇮🇷 Iran

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Masjed Soleyman

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $520 in Masjed Soleyman, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Masjed Soleyman $520

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $845 in Masjed Soleyman, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Masjed Soleyman $845

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,171 in Masjed Soleyman, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Masjed Soleyman $1,171

Cape Town costs about 205% more than Masjed Soleyman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Masjed Soleyman is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.67 $2.67

354.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$15.40 $15.40

194.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$4.03 $4.03

45.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.75 $0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.26 $1.26

98.41%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.46 $0.46

176.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$1.06 $1.06

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.58 $0.58

124.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.52 $0.52

140.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.03 $2.03

9.85%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.22 $1.22

154.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$4.06 $4.06

123.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.54 $3.54

95.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$10.12 $10.12

-8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.01 $1.01

82.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.72 $1.72

13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.95 $0.95

75.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.61 $0.61

255.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.53 $0.53

196.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.43 $0.43

244.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.55 $0.55

136.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.26 $0.26

334.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 $0.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.35 $2.35

53.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.16 $0.16

837.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$9.11 $9.11

566.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.46 $0.46

28.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.28 $0.28

435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$2.50 $2.50

104.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.09 $0.09

1622.22%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$45.2K $45.2K

-19.87%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$38.6K $38.6K

-19.02%

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

$114 R 1,883

$11.29 $11.29

912.58%

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

$28.91 R 476

$1.75 $1.75

1552.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$3.17 $3.17

1153.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$18.67 $18.67

162.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$14.65 $14.65

-24.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$1.74 $1.74

425.86%

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

$259 R 4,264

$107 $107

141.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$2,699 $2,699

151.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$19.65 $19.65

185.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$26.85 $26.85

20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$110 $110

9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$79.3 $79.3

36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$278 $278

266.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$195 $195

267.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$898 $898

103.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$369 $369

259.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,300 $1,300

83.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$578 $578

166.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

24.3

-54.86%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Masjed Soleyman: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Masjed Soleyman

$195 37.5% 72.8% $522

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Masjed Soleyman

$114 22% 49.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Masjed Soleyman

$16 3.1% 91.1% $167

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Masjed Soleyman

$55 10.5% 69% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Masjed Soleyman

$106 20.4% 25.6% $37

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Masjed Soleyman

$12 2.2% 84.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Masjed Soleyman

$22 4.3% 67.1% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $278 in Masjed Soleyman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $15.00 in Masjed Soleyman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $114 – making Masjed Soleyman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇷 Masjed Soleyman

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

100,497

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Masjed Soleyman 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Masjed Soleyman

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 Masjed Soleyman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 205% more than Masjed Soleyman, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $780 in Masjed Soleyman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Masjed Soleyman, 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 $520 in Masjed Soleyman. That's a gap of about 205%.

Public transport costs about 567% less in Masjed Soleyman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Masjed Soleyman, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Masjed Soleyman 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. Masjed Soleyman costs $520 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 Masjed Soleyman. 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.