Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Medea

For one person, living is cheaper in Medea: $452 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Medea
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Medea Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Medea

🇩🇿 Algeria

$452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $452 in Medea, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Medea $452

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $773 in Medea, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Medea $773

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,095 in Medea, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Medea $1,095

Cape Town costs about 251% more than Medea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Medea is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$1.91 DZD 256

535.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$28.16 DZD 3,771

61.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$3.97 DZD 532

48.11%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$0.37 DZD 49.16

575.68%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.40 DZD 53.9

217.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.19 DZD 26.00

415.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$2.26 DZD 303

32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.28 DZD 305

63.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.89 DZD 119

46.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.09 DZD 11.91

1288.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.14 DZD 153

95.61%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.17 DZD 157

165.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$8.02 DZD 1,074

12.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.85 DZD 515

79.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$14.49 DZD 1,941

-35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.00 DZD 268

-8.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.77 DZD 370

-29.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.08 DZD 144

54.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.55 DZD 73.0

294.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.57 DZD 76.3

175.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.49 DZD 65.0

202.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.80 DZD 108

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.27 DZD 36.50

318.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$2.07 DZD 277

73.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$6.59 DZD 882

-6.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.27 DZD 170

8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.91 DZD 256

12.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.21 DZD 28.23

614.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$6.77 DZD 906

797.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.54 DZD 72.6

9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.46 DZD 62.2

226.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$5.54 DZD 741

-7.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.36 DZD 47.76

330.56%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$18.9K DZD 2.5M

91.21%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$34.9K DZD 4.7M

-10.48%

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

$114 R 1,883

$18.45 DZD 2,470

519.62%

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

$28.91 R 476

$7.91 DZD 1,059

265.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$12.23 DZD 1,638

224.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$22.02 DZD 2,948

122.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$1.89 DZD 254

481.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$3.29 DZD 440

178.12%

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

$259 R 4,264

$38.35 DZD 5,134

574.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$6,214 DZD 831.9K

9.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$19.56 DZD 2,619

187.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$31.40 DZD 4,204

3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$30.44 DZD 4,075

296.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$53.5 DZD 7,159

102.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$146 DZD 19.6K

598.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$91.4 DZD 12.2K

684.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$273 DZD 36.6K

566.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$192 DZD 25.7K

591.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$969 DZD 129.8K

146.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$1,029 DZD 137.8K

49.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$310 DZD 41.6K

427.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

119.40%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medea: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Medea

$91 20.3% 87.2% $625

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Medea

$172 38.1% 23.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Medea

$39 8.5% 78.9% $144

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Medea

$50 11.1% 71.7% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Medea

$61 13.4% 57.5% $82

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Medea

$10 2.3% 86% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Medea

$29 6.3% 57.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $146 in Medea. 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 428% 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 $28.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $172 – making Medea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇩🇿 Medea

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

14:07 2:07 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

138,355

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Medea 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Medea

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 Medea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 251% more than Medea, 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 $677 in Medea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medea, 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 $452 in Medea. That's a gap of about 251%.

Public transport costs about 797% less in Medea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medea, where all-in costs run around $452, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Medea 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. Medea costs $452 versus $1,586 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 Medea. 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.