Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Qusar

For one person, living is cheaper in Qusar: $741 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Qusar
Learn more

Qusar Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Qusar

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $741 in Qusar, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Qusar $741

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,110 in Qusar, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Qusar $1,110

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,480 in Qusar, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Qusar $1,480

Cape Town costs about 114% more than Qusar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Qusar is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$7.85 ₼13.34

54.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 748

$17.93 ₼30.48

152.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 97.0

$8.25 ₼14.03

-28.73%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.21

$1.72 ₼2.92

45.35%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$0.68 ₼1.16

86.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.15

$0.25 ₼0.42

292.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.36

$1.51 ₼2.56

98.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$1.79 ₼3.05

107.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.42

$0.90 ₼1.52

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.69

$0.30 ₼0.52

316.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.79

$1.45 ₼2.46

53.79%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.3

$1.11 ₼1.88

180.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$3.70 ₼6.28

144.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.21 ₼5.46

115.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$6.94 ₼11.80

34.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.27

$0.45 ₼0.77

308.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.31

$1.50 ₼2.55

30.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.47

$1.21 ₼2.06

38.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.73

$1.79 ₼3.04

21.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.83

$0.23 ₼0.39

582.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.47

$0.60 ₼1.02

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.43

$0.19 ₼0.32

584.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.62

$0.34 ₼0.57

232.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.4

$2.90 ₼4.92

24.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$9.05 ₼15.38

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.67

$1.49 ₼2.54

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.22

$2.82 ₼4.79

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.67

$0.25 ₼0.43

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,002

$11.98 ₼20.36

407.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.72

$1.16 ₼1.97

-49.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.66

$0.61 ₼1.04

145.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$2.36 ₼4.02

116.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.52

$0.61 ₼1.03

154.10%

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

$36.2K R 597.0K

$19.3K ₼32.8K

87.46%

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

$31.2K R 515.2K

$20.6K ₼35.0K

51.70%

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

$114 R 1,885

$46.69 ₼79.4

144.85%

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

$28.91 R 477

$11.28 ₼19.16

156.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 655

$11.72 ₼19.93

238.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$19.91 ₼33.84

146.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$11.97 ₼20.35

-8.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$6.05 ₼10.28

51.24%

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

$259 R 4,267

$69.3 ₼118

273.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 112.0K

$3,507 ₼5,959

93.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$41.66 ₼70.8

34.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$41.69 ₼70.9

-22.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,988

$104 ₼178

15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,782

$69.6 ₼118

55.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$337 ₼573

202.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$250 ₼425

186.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$491 ₼835

271.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$394 ₼670

236.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,403 ₼2,384

70.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$1,215 ₼2,066

26.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$423 ₼719

287.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

7.85

39.75%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Qusar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Qusar

$250 33.8% 65.1% $467

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Qusar

$133 18% 40.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Qusar

$70 9.4% 61.9% $113

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Qusar

$123 16.6% 30.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Qusar

$116 15.6% 18.9% $27

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Qusar

$17 2.3% 77% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Qusar

$32 4.3% 52.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $337 in Qusar. 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 287% 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 $18.00 in Qusar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $133 – making Qusar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇦🇿 Qusar

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

05:07 5:07 AM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

18,600

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.526 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 16.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.45 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.9 AZN (1 AZN = 0.526 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Qusar 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Qusar

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 Qusar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 114% more than Qusar, 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 $1,112 in Qusar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qusar, 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 $741 in Qusar. That's a gap of about 114%.

Public transport costs about 407% less in Qusar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qusar, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Qusar 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. Qusar costs $741 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 Qusar. 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.