Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Sakakah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakakah: $1,188 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Sakakah
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Sakakah Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Sakakah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $1,188 in Sakakah, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Sakakah $1,188

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,756 in Sakakah, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Sakakah $1,756

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $2,324 in Sakakah, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Sakakah $2,324

Cape Town costs about 34% more than Sakakah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Sakakah is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$5.73 SAR 21.49

111.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$37.30 SAR 140

21.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$8.20 SAR 30.76

-28.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$3.50 SAR 13.13

-28.57%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.68 SAR 2.55

86.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.32 SAR 1.19

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.72 SAR 6.46

-24.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.31 SAR 4.91

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.33 SAR 8.75

-4.29%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$2.35 SAR 8.80

32.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$7.41 SAR 27.81

22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$8.08 SAR 30.31

-14.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$12.76 SAR 47.89

-27.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.23 SAR 8.36

-17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.76 SAR 6.60

11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.59 SAR 5.98

5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$1.58 SAR 5.93

37.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$1.17 SAR 4.39

34.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$1.28 SAR 4.80

15.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.21 SAR 4.55

7.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.54 SAR 2.01

109.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.98 SAR 11.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$6.72 SAR 25.22

-46.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.09 SAR 4.08

37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$37.36 SAR 140

62.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$2.62 SAR 9.84

-77.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-20.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$13.31 SAR 49.96

-61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.60 SAR 2.26

158.33%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$44.8K SAR 168.1K

-19.15%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$21.2K SAR 79.4K

47.59%

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

$114 R 1,883

$105 SAR 393

9.24%

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

$28.91 R 476

$32.57 SAR 122

-11.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$66.0 SAR 248

-39.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$80.3 SAR 301

-38.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$13.30 SAR 49.89

-31.20%

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

$259 R 4,264

$417 SAR 1,565

-37.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$8,055 SAR 30.2K

-15.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$43.19 SAR 162

30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$55.4 SAR 208

-41.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$97.4 SAR 366

23.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$85.7 SAR 321

26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$573 SAR 2,150

78.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$378 SAR 1,417

89.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$821 SAR 3,081

122.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$566 SAR 2,123

134.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$2,363 SAR 8,868

1.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$1,366 SAR 5,125

12.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$949 SAR 3,562

72.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.54

98.01%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Sakakah

$378 31.8% 47.3% $339

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Sakakah

$203 17.1% 9.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Sakakah

$203 17.1% 11.1% $20

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Sakakah

$116 9.8% 33.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Sakakah

$127 10.7% 11.2% $16

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Sakakah

$54 4.5% 28.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Sakakah

$107 9% 58.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $573 in Sakakah. 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 73% 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 $37.00 in Sakakah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $203 – making Sakakah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇦 Sakakah

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

242,813

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Sakakah 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Sakakah

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 Sakakah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 34% more than Sakakah, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,782 in Sakakah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakakah, 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 $1,188 in Sakakah. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Sakakah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sakakah, where all-in costs run around $1,188, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Sakakah 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. Sakakah costs $1,188 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 Sakakah. 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.