Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Saint-Leu

Name: Saint-Leu
Address: Saint-Leu, RE

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $1,599 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Cape Town despite lower rent and utilities.

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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

$1,599

/mo nomad

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Saint-Leu

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 Saint-Leu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Cape Town vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Cape Town $1,599
Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Cape Town vs $2,357 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Cape Town $2,460
Saint-Leu $2,357

A family of three spends $3,320 per month in Cape Town vs $3,213 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Cape Town $3,320
Saint-Leu $3,213

Cape Town costs about 6% more than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cape Town and Saint-Leu sit above the global median – Cape Town by 18%, Saint-Leu by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

$28.24 €25.12

-57.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

$89.2 €79.3

-47.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

$2.83 €2.52

-11.66%

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

$1.35 R 22.28

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$1.10 €0.98

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

$7.88 €7.01

-61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

$5.56 €4.95

-33.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

$1.10 €0.98

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

$1.26 €1.12

0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

$2.17 €1.93

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

$4.62 €4.11

-33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

$22.03 €19.60

-59.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

$3.38 €3.00

-44.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

$1.66 €1.47

16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

$2.27 €2.02

-22.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

$3.40 €3.02

-35.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

$2.25 €2.00

-32.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$2.18 €1.94

-28.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

$0.81 €0.72

41.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

$14.77 €13.13

-74.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

$5.56 €4.95

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

$1.64 €1.46

-18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

$1.87 €1.66

-14.44%

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

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

$119 R 1,955

$94.6 €84.1

25.40%

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

$29.42 R 485

$9.89 €8.80

197.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

$34.06 €30.30

16.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$33.81 €30.08

50.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

$10.01 €8.91

-10.19%

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

$261 R 4,303

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

$1,140 €1,014

-9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

$785 €698

-8.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

$1,981 €1,762

-7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

$1,353 €1,204

0.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

$2,039 €1,814

-19.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

174.25%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Cape Town versus $1,140 in Saint-Leu. 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 24% higher in Saint-Leu, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $89.0 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Cape Town vs $210 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

34,893

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Saint-Leu 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Saint-Leu

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 Saint-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 6% more than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,398 per month in Cape Town and $2,253 in Saint-Leu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Leu, 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 $1,599 in Cape Town and $1,502 in Saint-Leu. That's a gap of about 6%.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Leu, where all-in costs run around $1,502, than in Cape Town at $1,599. In Saint-Leu 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. Saint-Leu costs $1,502 versus $1,599 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 Saint-Leu. 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.