Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Qrendi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,956 in Qrendi, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town, South Africa
Qrendi, Malta
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Qrendi
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,956 in Qrendi, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Qrendi $1,956

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $3,004 in Qrendi, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Qrendi $3,004

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $4,053 in Qrendi, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Qrendi $4,053

Cape Town is about 22% cheaper than Qrendi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Qrendi sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Qrendi by 45%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 198
$19.78 €17.61
-39.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 707
$86.0 €76.6
-50.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$13.33 €11.87
-53.86%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.04
$2.79 €2.48
-15.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$3.11 €2.77
-59.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.46
$2.28 €2.03
-58.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.77
$4.61 €4.10
-35.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.8
$5.18 €4.61
-28.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.73
$1.40 €1.24
-5.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.87
$1.29 €1.15
-6.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.26
$4.42 €3.94
-50.23%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.1
$4.37 €3.89
-29.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$8.22 €7.32
6.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$10.23 €9.11
-32.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$18.59 €16.56
-50.19%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.08
$4.20 €3.74
-56.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.12
$2.81 €2.50
-30.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.32
$3.50 €3.12
-52.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.19
$3.42 €3.05
-37.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.01
$2.25 €2.00
-29.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.29
$1.86 €1.65
-20.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.18
$2.30 €2.05
-41.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.85
$1.35 €1.20
-15.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.0
$6.96 €6.20
-48.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.7
$8.07 €7.19
-25.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.95
$1.70 €1.52
-18.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.90
$2.43 €2.17
-10.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.02
$2.29 €2.04
-38.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.26
$5.75 €5.12
-83.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.83
$2.30 €2.05
-60.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.7
$27.33 €24.33
-81.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.37
$1.46 €1.30
5.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.8K
$37.8K €33.6K
-6.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 549.9K
$39.3K €35.0K
-15.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,929
$104 €92.8
12.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 424
$25.67 €22.85
0.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 649
$43.54 €38.77
-9.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 850
$64.4 €57.3
-19.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 187
$24.85 €22.12
-54.33%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$9.86 €8.78
-9.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,069
$370 €330
-16.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.2K
$10.9K €9,714
-25.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 946
$88.6 €78.9
-35.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 523
$41.11 €36.60
-22.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,911
$100 €89.1
15.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,660
$77.7 €69.2
29.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.2K
$1,115 €993
-6.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$919 €818
-27.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.7K
$1,738 €1,548
7.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.2K
$1,516 €1,350
-7.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.7K
$4,057 €3,612
-40.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$2,900 €2,582
-45.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Qrendi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
2.9
275.52%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Qrendi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Qrendi
$919 37.3% $249
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Qrendi
$328 46.9% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Qrendi
$173 4.8% $8.7
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Qrendi
$287 64.8% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Qrendi
$138 0.6% $0.8
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Qrendi
$26 * 63.2% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Qrendi
$84 21.2% $15

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 $1,115 in Qrendi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $86 in Qrendi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $328 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇲🇹 Qrendi
🕒 Local time
11:05 11:05 AM
10:05 10:05 AM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
2,800
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Qrendi 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Qrendi

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 Qrendi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Qrendi?
Qrendi costs about 28% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Qrendi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,933 in Qrendi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cape Town compared to Qrendi?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,047 in Cape Town and $1,115 in Qrendi. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Qrendi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,956 in Qrendi. That makes Cape Town about 22% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Cape Town and in Qrendi?
Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $370 in Qrendi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cape Town or in Qrendi?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,956 in Qrendi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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