Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Nizwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nizwa: $44.08 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,599

/mo nomad

Nizwa

🇴🇲 Oman

$44.08

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Cape Town vs $44.08 in Nizwa, rent included.

Cape Town $1,599
Nizwa $44.08

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Cape Town vs $64.8 in Nizwa, rent included.

Cape Town $2,460
Nizwa $64.8

A family of three spends $3,320 per month in Cape Town vs $85.5 in Nizwa, rent included.

Cape Town $3,320
Nizwa $85.5

Cape Town costs about 3527% more than Nizwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 18% above the global median, while Nizwa is 97% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

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

$1.35 R 22.28

$1.06 OMR 0.41

27.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$0.27 OMR 0.10

270.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

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

$119 R 1,955

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

$29.42 R 485

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$38.77 OMR 14.93

30.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

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

$261 R 4,303

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Nizwa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Nizwa

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Nizwa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Nizwa

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Nizwa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Nizwa

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Nizwa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Nizwa

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇴🇲 Nizwa

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

23:16 11:16 PM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

700,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Nizwa 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Nizwa

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 Nizwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 3527% more than Nizwa, 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 $2,398 per month in Cape Town and $66.1 in Nizwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nizwa, where all-in costs run around $44.08, than in Cape Town at $1,599. In Nizwa 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. Nizwa costs $44.08 versus $1,599 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 Nizwa. 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.