Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Moss

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,567 in Moss, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Moss
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Moss Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Moss

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,567 in Moss, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Moss $2,567

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $3,851 in Moss, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Moss $3,851

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $5,135 in Moss, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Moss $5,135

Cape Town is about 41% cheaper than Moss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Moss sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Moss by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$21.73 NOK 202

-44.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$79.6 NOK 738

-46.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$14.08 NOK 131

-56.32%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$5.12 NOK 47.52

-53.71%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$3.30 NOK 30.65

-61.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$2.70 NOK 25.04

-65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$7.12 NOK 66.1

-58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$8.53 NOK 79.2

-56.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$2.48 NOK 23.03

-46.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$3.75 NOK 34.77

-67.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$3.65 NOK 33.89

-39.73%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$3.83 NOK 35.53

-19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$13.67 NOK 127

-36.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$16.36 NOK 152

-57.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$28.72 NOK 267

-67.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.38 NOK 31.38

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.69 NOK 24.99

-27.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$2.92 NOK 27.14

-43.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$5.27 NOK 48.87

-59.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$2.25 NOK 20.86

-29.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$2.60 NOK 24.16

-43.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$2.62 NOK 24.27

-48.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$2.45 NOK 22.69

-53.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$16.35 NOK 152

-78.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$16.28 NOK 151

-62.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$2.62 NOK 24.28

-46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$3.77 NOK 35.01

-42.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$4.89 NOK 45.35

-71.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$91.1 NOK 845

-33.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$10.63 NOK 98.7

-91.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.91 NOK 17.75

-52.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$47.71 NOK 443

-89.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.28 NOK 21.20

-32.46%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$44.3K NOK 411.2K

-20.19%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$42.3K NOK 392.5K

-21.09%

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

$117 R 1,918

$312 NOK 2,894

-62.47%

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

$25.71 R 421

$35.31 NOK 328

-27.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$54.9 NOK 510

-28.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$41.63 NOK 386

23.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$34.44 NOK 320

-67.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$18.74 NOK 174

-52.56%

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

$308 R 5,040

$244 NOK 2,264

26.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$3,911 NOK 36.3K

108.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$103 NOK 959

-44.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$60.5 NOK 561

-47.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$106 NOK 987

9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$145 NOK 1,347

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$1,230 NOK 11.4K

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$937 NOK 8,692

-28.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$2,173 NOK 20.2K

-14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,605 NOK 14.9K

-12.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$5,301 NOK 49.2K

-54.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$4,215 NOK 39.1K

-62.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$4,469 NOK 41.5K

-63.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

4.94

120.45%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Moss: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Moss

$937 36.5% 40% $268

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Moss

$477 18.6% 114% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Moss

$402 15.7% 121% $220

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Moss

$354 13.8% 104% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Moss

$187 7.3% 35.8% $49

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Moss

$131 5.1% 82.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Moss

$79 3.1% 14% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,230 in Moss. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moss are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $80 in Moss. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $477 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Moss

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

52,213

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, 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 = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Moss 10,400 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Moss

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 Moss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moss costs about 68% 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 $3,850 in Moss. 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 $1,230 in Moss.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,567 in Moss. That makes Cape Town about 41% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 33% 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 $2,567 in Moss. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,567 in Moss. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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