Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Port Said

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Said: $434 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Port Said
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Port Said Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Port Said

🇪🇬 Egypt

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Port Said

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $434 in Port Said, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Port Said $434

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $721 in Port Said, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Port Said $721

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,008 in Port Said, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Port Said $1,008

Cape Town costs about 265% more than Port Said, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Port Said is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 201

$3.89 E£208

212.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 751

$19.15 E£1,024

136.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 97.5

$4.72 E£252

24.58%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.40

$1.25 E£67.0

100.00%

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

$1.27 R 21.06

$0.32 E£17.15

296.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.23

$0.11 E£5.89

790.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.60

$1.31 E£70.0

128.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.7

$2.79 E£149

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.52

$0.78 E£41.84

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.79

$0.71 E£37.68

76.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.97

$0.60 E£32.10

271.67%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.5

$1.18 E£63.0

163.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 150

$3.92 E£209

131.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 115

$3.73 E£199

85.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 154

$7.85 E£419

18.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.42

$1.57 E£83.8

17.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.47

$0.77 E£41.39

154.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.60

$0.54 E£29.09

209.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.90

$0.29 E£15.64

648.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.96

$0.20 E£10.68

685.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.59

$0.32 E£17.14

362.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$0.27 E£14.58

381.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.71

$0.19 E£9.98

494.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.7

$1.85 E£98.9

94.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 102

$5.57 E£298

10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.78

$1.23 E£65.8

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.39

$2.24 E£120

-4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.79

$0.19 E£10.09

689.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,006

$2.31 E£124

2529.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.76

$0.27 E£14.40

118.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.78

$0.20 E£10.52

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.7

$1.20 E£64.3

325.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.29 E£15.56

434.48%

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

$36.2K R 599.8K

$32.5K E£1.7M

11.25%

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

$31.2K R 517.7K

$27.3K E£1.5M

14.37%

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

$114 R 1,894

$14.32 E£765

698.32%

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

$28.91 R 479

$6.94 E£371

316.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 658

$7.04 E£376

464.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 812

$16.43 E£878

198.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 182

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 152

$2.81 E£150

225.62%

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

$259 R 4,288

$35.35 E£1,889

632.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 112.5K

$565 E£30.2K

1102.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 931

$33.03 E£1,765

70.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 537

$45.42 E£2,427

-28.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,998

$131 E£6,982

-7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,790

$55.5 E£2,967

94.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.9K

$135 E£7,198

658.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.9K

$67.9 E£3,629

955.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.2K

$227 E£12.1K

704.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 22.0K

$139 E£7,404

857.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.6K

$770 E£41.1K

210.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.5K

$357 E£19.1K

331.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.1K

$187 E£10.0K

775.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

21.33

-48.57%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Port Said: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Port Said

$68 15.6% 90.5% $649

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Port Said

$118 27.3% 47.3% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Port Said

$28 6.5% 84.5% $155

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Port Said

$74 17.1% 57.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Port Said

$119 27.4% 16.6% $24

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Port Said

$4.3 1% 94.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Port Said

$22 5.1% 67.2% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $135 in Port Said. 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 776% 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 $19.00 in Port Said. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $118 – making Port Said the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇪🇬 Port Said

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

22:19 10:19 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

538,378

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.04 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 16.57 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.04 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.44 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 59.84 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Port Said 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Port Said

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 Port Said: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 265% more than Port Said, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $651 in Port Said. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Said, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $434 in Port Said. That's a gap of about 265%.

Public transport costs about 2530% less in Port Said. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Port Said, where all-in costs run around $434, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Port Said 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. Port Said costs $434 versus $1,586 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 Port Said. 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.