Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss 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

$1,568

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $3,460 in Selfoss, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Selfoss $3,460

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $2,461 in Selfoss, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Selfoss $2,461

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,462 in Selfoss, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Selfoss $1,462

Cape Town is about 55% cheaper than Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Selfoss sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Selfoss by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

$20.81 ISK 2,536

-71.36%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

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

$1.33 R 22.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

$12.20 ISK 1,487

-75.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$1.79 ISK 219

-22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$7.61 ISK 927

-84.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$4.46 ISK 544

-52.69%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$6.56 ISK 800

-54.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$17.24 ISK 2,101

-48.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$21.77 ISK 2,653

-69.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$33.50 ISK 4,082

-72.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$2.72 ISK 332

-32.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$2.75 ISK 335

-30.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$2.65 ISK 323

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$7.51 ISK 915

-72.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$3.21 ISK 391

-51.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$2.18 ISK 266

-31.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$3.60 ISK 438

-63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$1.44 ISK 175

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

$15.97 ISK 1,946

-76.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

$1.17 ISK 143

88.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

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

$116 R 1,930

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

$28.37 R 471

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,336

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

$2,820 ISK 343.6K

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

9,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Selfoss 11,420 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selfoss costs about 121% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $5,190 in Selfoss. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $3,460 in Selfoss. That's a gap of about 121%.

Groceries cost about 136% more in Selfoss, 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 Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Selfoss at $3,460. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Selfoss it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $3,460 in Selfoss. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Selfoss makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.