Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Schio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,663 in Schio, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Schio despite lower rent and utilities.

Cape Town, South Africa
Schio, Italy
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Schio
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,663 in Schio, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Schio $1,663

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,489 in Schio, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Schio $2,489

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $3,316 in Schio, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Schio $3,316

Cape Town is about 8% cheaper than Schio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Schio sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Schio by 23%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 197
$14.85 €13.23
-19.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 703
$55.2 €49.17
-22.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$10.16 €9.05
-39.47%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 38.81
$1.76 €1.57
34.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.84
$2.34 €2.08
-45.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.37
$1.13 €1.01
-16.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.48
$5.69 €5.07
-47.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.5
$4.98 €4.43
-25.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.61
$1.51 €1.34
-12.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.75
$2.28 €2.03
-46.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.05
$3.14 €2.80
-29.94%
Eggs
$3.10 R 50.8
$4.14 €3.69
-25.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 143
$16.60 €14.78
-47.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 113
$12.06 €10.74
-42.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 152
$19.29 €17.19
-52.00%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 29.90
$2.20 €1.96
-16.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 31.94
$2.18 €1.94
-10.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.16
$2.21 €1.97
-24.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 34.99
$2.26 €2.01
-5.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 25.86
$1.95 €1.74
-18.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.15
$1.83 €1.63
-19.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.05
$1.71 €1.53
-21.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.75
$0.63 €0.56
80.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 58.6
$6.87 €6.12
-47.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.2
$6.63 €5.91
-8.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.82
$1.30 €1.15
6.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.69
$1.80 €1.60
21.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 22.88
$1.70 €1.52
-17.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 995
$41.85 €37.28
45.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.18
$11.28 €10.05
-91.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.75
$2.10 €1.87
-57.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.3
$56.9 €50.7
-91.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.23
$1.98 €1.77
-22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 579.4K
$34.9K €31.1K
1.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 546.7K
$38.5K €34.3K
-13.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,918
$190 €169
-38.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 421
$8.88 €7.91
189.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 646
$34.49 €30.73
14.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 846
$54.1 €48.22
-4.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 186
$24.03 €21.41
-52.77%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$10.79 €9.61
-17.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,040
$511 €455
-39.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 133.4K
$13.2K €11.7K
-38.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 940
$77.6 €69.1
-26.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 520
$33.05 €29.44
-3.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,900
$88.2 €78.6
31.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,650
$154 €137
-34.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.1K
$713 €635
46.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$575 €512
16.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.5K
$1,159 €1,033
60.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.1K
$903 €805
55.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.5K
$2,888 €2,573
-16.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.7K
$2,043 €1,820
-23.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Schio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
3.31
229.00%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Schio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Schio
$575 14% $94
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Schio
$326 46.2% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Schio
$234 28.2% $51
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Schio
$223 28% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Schio
$159 15.4% $21
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Schio
$70 1.8% $1.3
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Schio
$76 9.1% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $713 in Schio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $55 in Schio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $326 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇮🇹 Schio
🕒 Local time
01:12 1:12 AM
00:12 12:12 AM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
39,355
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Schio 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Schio

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 Schio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Schio?
Schio costs about 9% more than Cape Town, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Schio?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,494 in Schio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Schio?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Schio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $713 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Schio?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,663 in Schio. That makes Cape Town about 8% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Schio?
Public transport costs about 31% less in Schio. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cape Town or in Schio?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,663 in Schio. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cape Town or Schio?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,663 in Schio. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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