Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Reykjahlid

For one person, living is cheaper in Reykjahlid: $181 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Reykjahlid

🇮🇸 Iceland

$181

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $181 in Reykjahlid, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Reykjahlid $181

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $265 in Reykjahlid, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Reykjahlid $265

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $349 in Reykjahlid, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Reykjahlid $349

Cape Town costs about 745% more than Reykjahlid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Reykjahlid is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 709

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 102

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.16

$6.26 ISK 760

-62.14%

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

$1.27 R 21.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.92

$11.76 ISK 1,429

-74.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 61.0

$11.82 ISK 1,437

-68.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.80

$2.32 ISK 281

-43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.93

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.37

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.17

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.22

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.40

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.30

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.09

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.37

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.1

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 23.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 36.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,004

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.31

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 82.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.45

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

$35.4K R 584.6K

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

$33.4K R 551.6K

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

$117 R 1,935

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

$25.71 R 425

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 651

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 853

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 188

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 147

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

$308 R 5,085

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 948

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 525

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,917

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,665

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Reykjahlid: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Reykjahlid

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Reykjahlid

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Reykjahlid

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Reykjahlid

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Reykjahlid

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Reykjahlid

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Reykjahlid

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇸 Reykjahlid

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

300

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR 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 = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Reykjahlid 11,480 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Reykjahlid

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 Reykjahlid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 745% more than Reykjahlid, 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 $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $271 in Reykjahlid. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $181 in Reykjahlid. That makes Reykjahlid about 88% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 864% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Reykjahlid, where all-in costs run around $181, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Reykjahlid it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $181 in Reykjahlid to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.