Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $3,534 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $3,534 in Meilen, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Meilen $3,534

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $6,040 in Meilen, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Meilen $6,040

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $8,546 in Meilen, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Meilen $8,546

Cape Town is about 57% cheaper than Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Meilen sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Meilen by 161%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$33.24 CHF 27.10

-63.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$121 CHF 98.8

-64.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$16.25 CHF 13.25

-62.15%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$6.50 CHF 5.30

-63.54%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$5.82 CHF 4.74

-78.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$5.04 CHF 4.11

-81.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$8.45 CHF 6.89

-64.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$8.40 CHF 6.85

-56.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$2.13 CHF 1.73

-38.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$3.45 CHF 2.81

-64.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$3.79 CHF 3.09

-41.95%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$7.56 CHF 6.16

-58.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$26.49 CHF 21.60

-67.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$26.28 CHF 21.43

-73.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$40.76 CHF 33.24

-77.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$3.61 CHF 2.94

-49.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.10 CHF 1.71

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.66 CHF 2.17

-37.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-55.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$2.01 CHF 1.63

-21.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-34.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-43.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.33 CHF 1.08

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$11.08 CHF 9.03

-67.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$13.43 CHF 10.95

-54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$2.79 CHF 2.27

-50.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-31.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$5.09 CHF 4.15

-72.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$115 CHF 93.7

-47.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$8.29 CHF 6.76

-88.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$4.56 CHF 3.72

-80.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$89.2 CHF 72.8

-94.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$2.37 CHF 1.93

-35.02%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$39.3K CHF 32.0K

-9.95%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

$39.5K CHF 32.2K

-15.48%

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

$117 R 1,929

$237 CHF 194

-50.70%

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

$25.71 R 424

$35.38 CHF 28.85

-27.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$65.9 CHF 53.8

-40.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$74.2 CHF 60.5

-30.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

$48.45 CHF 39.51

-76.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$24.07 CHF 19.63

-63.07%

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

$308 R 5,069

$3,009 CHF 2,454

-89.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$38.0K CHF 31.0K

-78.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$139 CHF 114

-58.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$54.6 CHF 44.50

-41.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$146 CHF 119

-20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$175 CHF 143

-42.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$1,812 CHF 1,477

-42.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$1,597 CHF 1,302

-58.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$3,016 CHF 2,459

-38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$4,030 CHF 3,287

-65.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$14.9K CHF 12.1K

-83.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$11.1K CHF 9,080

-85.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$8,363 CHF 6,820

-80.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

1.72

533.14%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Meilen: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Meilen

$1.6K 45.2% 139% $928

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Meilen

$583 16.5% 161% $359

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Meilen

$339 9.6% 85.9% $157

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Meilen

$495 14% 185% $321

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Meilen

$232 6.6% 68.3% $94

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Meilen

$166 4.7% 132% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Meilen

$122 3.5% 76.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,812 in Meilen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Meilen are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $121 in Meilen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $583 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

13,515

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 CHF = 1.23 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.915 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Meilen 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen costs about 131% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $5,301 in Meilen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,812 in Meilen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,534 in Meilen. That makes Cape Town about 57% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,534 in Meilen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Meilen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.