Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Schaan

For one person, living is cheaper in Schaan: $1,281 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

Schaan

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,281 in Schaan, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Schaan $1,281

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,187 in Schaan, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Schaan $2,187

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,094 in Schaan, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Schaan $3,094

Cape Town costs about 19% more than Schaan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Schaan is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$27.21 CHF 22.19

-55.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$86.0 CHF 70.1

-50.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$14.66 CHF 11.95

-58.05%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$6.73 CHF 5.49

-64.78%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$3.11 CHF 2.53

-59.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$6.08 CHF 4.95

-84.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$3.60 CHF 2.94

2.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.90 CHF 1.55

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$4.88 CHF 3.98

-75.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$5.82 CHF 4.75

-46.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$28.86 CHF 23.54

-69.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$24.41 CHF 19.90

-71.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$47.44 CHF 38.69

-80.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$8.56 CHF 6.98

-75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$2.44 CHF 1.99

-53.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$12.31 CHF 10.03

-50.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$2.46 CHF 2.01

-43.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$2.37 CHF 1.93

-35.02%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

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

$117 R 1,929

$86.2 CHF 70.3

35.84%

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

$25.71 R 424

$32.96 CHF 26.88

-22.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$43.00 CHF 35.07

-8.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$122 CHF 99.3

-57.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$19.28 CHF 15.72

-53.89%

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

$308 R 5,069

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$1,782 CHF 1,453

-41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$2,976 CHF 2,427

-37.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$9,615 CHF 7,841

-74.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$6,190 CHF 5,047

-74.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$8,422 CHF 6,868

-80.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

172.25%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Schaan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Schaan

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Schaan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Schaan

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Schaan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Schaan

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Schaan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Schaan

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,782 in Schaan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Schaan are about 5.2 times higher, 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 $43 in Cape Town versus $86 in Schaan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $539 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇱🇮 Schaan

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 CHF = 1.23 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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 = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.915 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Schaan 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Schaan

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 Schaan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 19% more than Schaan, 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 $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $1,921 in Schaan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,782 in Schaan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,281 in Schaan. That makes Schaan about 16% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 59% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,281 in Schaan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,281 in Schaan to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.