Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and St Francis Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and St Francis Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $1,020 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,567 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $2,113 in St Francis Bay, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 25% more than St Francis Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cape Town and St Francis Bay are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, St Francis Bay 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 179

$8.35 R 136

31.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 731

$34.24 R 556

31.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.8

$4.75 R 77.2

3.37%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.49

$2.10 R 34.15

-4.76%

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

$1.10 R 17.94

$1.00 R 16.25

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.43

$0.82 R 13.26

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.56

$2.22 R 36.05

29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.35

$2.51 R 40.74

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.61

$1.10 R 17.94

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.59

$1.01 R 16.34

6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.38

$1.55 R 25.24

20.65%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.11

$2.47 R 40.12

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 139

$7.56 R 123

13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.5

$4.61 R 75.0

11.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 124

$6.63 R 108

15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.24

$1.69 R 27.42

-11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.26

$1.53 R 24.87

-2.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.28

$1.49 R 24.29

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.85

$1.58 R 25.74

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.54

$1.36 R 22.12

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.16

$1.24 R 20.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.83

$1.05 R 17.08

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.57

$0.90 R 14.66

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.33

$2.82 R 45.85

7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 100

$4.83 R 78.5

27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.97

$1.32 R 21.47

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.23

$1.71 R 27.74

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.17

$1.63 R 26.51

-42.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 779

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.43

$1.10 R 17.81

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.14

$0.95 R 15.48

-2.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 70.9

$4.05 R 65.9

7.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.33

$1.22 R 19.89

2.46%

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

$21.3K R 346.9K

$21.5K R 349.7K

-0.83%

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

$24.5K R 397.5K

$23.5K R 381.2K

4.26%

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

$98.3 R 1,598

$119 R 1,934

-17.39%

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

$33.19 R 539

$35.73 R 581

-7.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 662

$42.42 R 689

-3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 677

$30.58 R 497

36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$11.16 R 181

-26.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$6.70 R 109

-2.24%

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

$211 R 3,435

$201 R 3,263

5.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.1K

$4,428 R 72.0K

19.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 906

$50.1 R 814

11.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 533

$32.80 R 533

-0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,869

$87.0 R 1,413

32.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,374

$80.8 R 1,312

4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.4K

$362 R 5,881

111.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,453

$332 R 5,389

56.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.2K

$685 R 11.1K

108.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$692 R 11.2K

46.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.1K

$932 R 15.2K

151.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.5K

$710 R 11.5K

112.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.51

2.26%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for St Francis Bay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $362 in St Francis Bay. 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $34.00 in St Francis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $176 – making St Francis Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 St Francis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 25% more than St Francis Bay, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $1,531 in St Francis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St Francis Bay, 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 $1,273 in Cape Town and $1,020 in St Francis Bay. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Cape Town and $201 in St Francis Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St Francis Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Cape Town at $1,273. In St Francis Bay 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. St Francis Bay costs $1,020 versus $1,273 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 St Francis Bay. 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.