Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Oyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Oyo: $626 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Oyo
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $626 in Oyo, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,586
  • Oyo $626

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,161 in Oyo, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,425
  • Oyo $1,161

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,695 in Oyo, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,263
  • Oyo $1,695

Cape Town costs about 153% more than Oyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Oyo is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.14 R 200
$3.72 ₦4,947
226.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.34 R 747
$50.8 ₦67.5K
-10.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 R 96.9
$7.48 ₦9,946
-21.39%
Cappuccino
$2.50 R 41.18
$2.79 ₦3,711
-10.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.94
$0.40 ₦536
217.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 R 16.14
$0.12 ₦166
716.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 R 49.33
$0.39 ₦520
666.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 R 61.4
$0.51 ₦677
629.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 R 21.40
$3.08 ₦4,090
-57.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 R 20.68
$0.52 ₦691
140.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 R 36.76
$0.89 ₦1,182
150.56%
Eggs
$3.11 R 51.2
$2.25 ₦2,994
38.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 R 149
$3.61 ₦4,799
150.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.92 R 114
$3.88 ₦5,167
78.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.30 R 153
$4.54 ₦6,035
104.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 R 30.25
$1.65 ₦2,189
11.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 R 32.29
$1.28 ₦1,703
53.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.45
$1.14 ₦1,519
46.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 R 35.70
$1.29 ₦1,714
68.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 R 25.81
$1.32 ₦1,754
18.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 R 24.45
$1.35 ₦1,792
9.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.41
$0.89 ₦1,181
46.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 R 18.60
$0.31 ₦417
264.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.60 R 59.3
$0.55 ₦731
554.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.15 R 101
$2.52 ₦3,350
144.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 R 22.66
$0.36 ₦484
283.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 R 35.20
$0.49 ₦656
336.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 R 24.65
$0.37 ₦488
305.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$14.98 ₦19.9K
305.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.59 R 9.71
$0.67 ₦891
-11.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 R 24.65
$0.92 ₦1,222
63.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.11 R 84.2
$2.24 ₦2,982
128.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 R 25.50
$0.82 ₦1,096
89.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K R 596.5K
$11.4K ₦15.1M
218.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K R 514.8K
$13.9K ₦18.4M
125.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 R 1,883
$14.96 ₦19.9K
664.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.91 R 476
$14.73 ₦19.6K
96.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.73 R 654
$33.32 ₦44.3K
19.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.01 R 808
$14.81 ₦19.7K
230.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.99 R 181
$4.69 ₦6,235
134.33%
Cinema Ticket
$9.15 R 151
$6.19 ₦8,230
47.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$259 R 4,264
$658 ₦875.1K
-60.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,794 R 111.9K
$19.9K ₦26.5M
-65.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.2 R 926
$6.07 ₦8,075
825.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.41 R 534
$17.88 ₦23.8K
81.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 R 1,987
$14.98 ₦19.9K
705.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 R 1,781
$10.71 ₦14.2K
909.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 R 16.8K
$432 ₦574.1K
136.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 R 11.8K
$260 ₦345.9K
175.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,824 R 30.1K
$1,111 ₦1.5M
64.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 R 21.9K
$689 ₦916.8K
92.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,391 R 39.4K
$751 ₦998.8K
218.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 R 25.4K
$187 ₦249.1K
723.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Oyo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,639 R 27.0K
$33.32 ₦44.3K
4817.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
10
9.70%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Oyo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$717
Oyo
$260 63.7% $457
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$225
Oyo
$141 37.3% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$183
Oyo
$63 65.6% $120
Eating Out
Cape Town
$176
Oyo
$91 48.5% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$143
Oyo
$22 84.4% $120
Getting Around
Cape Town
$75
Oyo
$22 71% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$67
Oyo
$27 59.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $432 in Oyo. 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 4818% 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 $51.0 in Oyo. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Cape Town vs $141 in Oyo – so Oyo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇳🇬 Oyo
🕒 Local time
20:56 8:56 PM
19:56 7:56 PM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
736,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Oyo 4,890 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Oyo

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 Oyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Oyo?
Cape Town costs about 153% more than Oyo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Oyo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $939 in Oyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Oyo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oyo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Oyo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $626 in Oyo. That's a gap of about 153%.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Oyo?
Public transport costs about 306% less in Oyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cape Town or in Oyo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Oyo, where all-in costs run around $626, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Oyo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cape Town or Oyo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Oyo costs $626 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Oyo?
If budget matters most, go with Oyo. 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.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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