Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Shahrisabz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrisabz: $237 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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

$1,586

/mo nomad

Shahrisabz

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $237 in Shahrisabz, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Shahrisabz $237

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $415 in Shahrisabz, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Shahrisabz $415

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $594 in Shahrisabz, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Shahrisabz $594

Cape Town costs about 570% more than Shahrisabz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Shahrisabz is 82% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.99 UZS 36.0K

306.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$1.98 UZS 23.9K

196.97%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$0.57 UZS 6,869

338.60%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.48 UZS 5,811

164.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.19 UZS 2,347

415.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$0.97 UZS 11.7K

208.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.05 UZS 24.7K

81.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.26 UZS 3,139

380.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.97 UZS 23.7K

13.20%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$0.94 UZS 11.3K

230.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$2.05 UZS 24.8K

237.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$7.14 UZS 86.1K

30.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$0.73 UZS 8,763

152.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$0.99 UZS 11.9K

97.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.61 UZS 7,391

85.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$1.01 UZS 12.2K

256.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.02 UZS 24.3K

5.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.42 UZS 5,019

257.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.38 UZS 4,584

55.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.23 UZS 2,760

552.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$0.86 UZS 10.3K

80.23%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

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

$114 R 1,883

$47.06 UZS 567.1K

142.92%

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

$28.91 R 476

$2.91 UZS 35.1K

893.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$8.79 UZS 106.0K

351.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$29.96 UZS 361.1K

63.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$7.11 UZS 85.7K

28.69%

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$12.02 UZS 144.9K

367.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$10.96 UZS 132.1K

195.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$197 UZS 2.4M

823.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$150 UZS 1.8M

782.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$427 UZS 5.1M

284.20%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Shahrisabz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Shahrisabz

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Shahrisabz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Shahrisabz

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Shahrisabz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Shahrisabz

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Shahrisabz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Shahrisabz

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 284% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇺🇿 Shahrisabz

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

01:09 1:09 AM

3 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

100,300

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,549 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Shahrisabz 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Shahrisabz

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 Shahrisabz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 570% more than Shahrisabz, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $355 in Shahrisabz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $237 in Shahrisabz. That's a gap of about 570%.

Groceries cost about 212% 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 Shahrisabz, where all-in costs run around $237, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Shahrisabz 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. Shahrisabz costs $237 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 Shahrisabz. 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.