Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Puerto de la Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,586 a month against $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto de la Cruz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Puerto de la Cruz
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Puerto de la Cruz Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Puerto de la Cruz

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Puerto de la Cruz

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 Puerto de la Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Puerto de la Cruz $1,912

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $2,769 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Puerto de la Cruz $2,769

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $3,625 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Puerto de la Cruz $3,625

Cape Town is about 17% cheaper than Puerto de la Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Puerto de la Cruz sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Puerto de la Cruz by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$13.53 €12.04

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$61.4 €54.6

-26.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$10.06 €8.95

-41.55%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.58 €2.29

-3.10%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$1.90 €1.69

-33.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$1.53 €1.36

-35.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$2.86 €2.54

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$3.59 €3.20

3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.10 €0.98

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.62 €1.44

-22.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.65 €1.47

35.15%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$3.70 €3.29

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$12.22 €10.87

-25.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$10.00 €8.89

-30.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$13.61 €12.10

-31.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.55 €2.27

-27.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.06 €1.83

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.48 €1.32

12.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$2.58 €2.29

-15.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$2.35 €2.09

-33.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$2.31 €2.05

-35.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$2.02 €1.79

-35.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.81 €0.72

39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$4.17 €3.71

-13.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$6.52 €5.80

-5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.37 €1.22

0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.68 €2.38

-20.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$41.93 €37.29

44.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$3.31 €2.94

-82.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$2.28 €2.02

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$28.23 €25.11

-81.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.65 €1.47

-6.06%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$35.1K €31.2K

3.20%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$28.4K €25.3K

9.90%

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

$114 R 1,883

$111 €98.4

3.34%

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

$28.91 R 476

$19.16 €17.04

50.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$28.08 €24.97

41.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$16.72 €14.87

-34.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$9.15 €8.14

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

$259 R 4,264

$481 €428

-46.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$6,713 €5,971

1.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$88.7 €78.9

-36.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$37.90 €33.71

-14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$88.9 €79.1

35.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$120 €107

-9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$1,133 €1,008

-9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$1,049 €933

-31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$1,891 €1,682

-3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$1,577 €1,403

-15.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$3,614 €3,215

-33.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$3,478 €3,093

-55.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$1,345 €1,196

21.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

3.15

248.25%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Puerto de la Cruz

$1K 54.9% 46.3% $332

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Puerto de la Cruz

$275 14.4% 22.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Puerto de la Cruz

$158 8.3% 13.7% $25

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Puerto de la Cruz

$205 10.7% 16.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Puerto de la Cruz

$151 7.9% 5.7% $8.2

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Puerto de la Cruz

$57 * 3% 24.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Puerto de la Cruz

$18 * 1% 72.8% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $1,133 in Puerto de la Cruz. 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 22% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $61.0 in Puerto de la Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $275 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇪🇸 Puerto de la Cruz

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

30,849

💱 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Puerto de la Cruz 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Puerto de la Cruz

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 Puerto de la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto de la Cruz costs about 21% 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $2,868 in Puerto de la Cruz. 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. 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 $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,586, than in Puerto de la Cruz at $1,912. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto de la Cruz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,586 versus $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Puerto de la Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.