Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Passau

For one person, living costs are similar in Cape Town and in Passau: $1,527 and $1,551 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Passau
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Passau Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Passau

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,551 in Passau, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Passau $1,551

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,580 in Passau, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Passau $2,580

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,610 in Passau, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Passau $3,610

Cape Town and Passau have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cape Town and Passau sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Passau by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$17.03 €15.16

-29.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$60.7 €54.1

-29.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$11.68 €10.40

-47.35%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$3.93 €3.50

-39.69%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$3.63 €3.23

-65.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$3.11 €2.77

-69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$4.45 €3.97

-33.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$4.91 €4.37

-24.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.14 €1.01

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$2.09 €1.86

-42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$3.27 €2.91

-32.72%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$3.76 €3.35

-17.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$14.25 €12.69

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$16.23 €14.45

-57.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$20.84 €18.56

-55.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$2.87 €2.56

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$1.68 €1.49

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.06 €1.83

-19.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$4.44 €3.95

-51.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$1.47 €1.31

7.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.58 €1.40

-6.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$1.77 €1.58

-23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.03 €0.91

10.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$9.13 €8.13

-60.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$5.55 €4.95

9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$1.00 €0.89

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$1.68 €1.50

29.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$2.85 €2.54

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$64.0 €57.0

-5.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$4.26 €3.80

-78.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$2.49 €2.22

-63.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$40.29 €35.88

-87.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.96 €1.74

-21.43%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$32.2K €28.6K

9.99%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

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

$117 R 1,929

$268 €239

-56.37%

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

$25.71 R 424

$16.25 €14.47

58.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$54.1 €48.20

-27.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$12.11 €10.79

-26.59%

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

$308 R 5,069

$684 €609

-55.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$18.9K €16.8K

-56.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$660 €587

58.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$470 €419

42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$1,649 €1,469

12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$1,330 €1,185

5.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$3,491 €3,109

-53.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.98

173.62%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Passau: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Passau

$470 30.3% 29.8% $199

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Passau

$348 22.5% 55.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Passau

$339 21.9% 85.9% $157

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Passau

$277 17.9% 59.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Passau

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Passau

$92 5.9% 28.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Passau

$24 * 1.6% 65.1% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $660 in Passau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Passau are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $61 in Passau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $348 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇩🇪 Passau

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

54,401

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Passau 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Passau

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 Passau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,326 in Passau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Passau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $660 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Passau, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $684 in Passau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,551 in Passau. 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 $1,551 in Passau. 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, Passau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.