Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,024

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $3,089 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,089

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $4,154 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,154

Cape Town is about 23% cheaper than St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

$17.33 CA$24.66

-32.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

$70.3 CA$99.9

-33.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.9

$11.74 CA$16.70

-49.23%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

$4.07 CA$5.79

-39.31%

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

$1.33 R 22.03

$2.58 CA$3.66

-48.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.08

$2.14 CA$3.04

-51.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.98

$4.98 CA$7.08

-39.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.8

$5.23 CA$7.44

-30.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.08

$3.02 CA$4.29

-53.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.70

$3.00 CA$4.27

-60.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 35.02

$4.14 CA$5.90

-49.03%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

$3.79 CA$5.39

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

$11.44 CA$16.27

-21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$13.05 CA$18.56

-49.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$11.78 CA$16.76

-21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

$4.72 CA$6.71

-61.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

$2.91 CA$4.14

-34.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

$4.78 CA$6.80

-63.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

$2.94 CA$4.17

-28.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

$2.64 CA$3.76

-41.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$2.17 CA$3.08

-31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

$2.74 CA$3.89

-52.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

$1.97 CA$2.80

-41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

$13.42 CA$19.09

-72.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

$15.45 CA$21.98

-60.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$4.09 CA$5.81

-66.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

$4.18 CA$5.95

-47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.11

$1.78 CA$2.54

-15.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

$54.4 CA$77.3

12.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

$3.07 CA$4.36

-79.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

$1.77 CA$2.52

-13.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

$28.99 CA$41.23

-83.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

$1.33 CA$1.90

18.80%

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

$27.5K CA$39.1K

29.05%

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

$21.5K CA$30.6K

47.69%

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

$116 R 1,930

$177 CA$252

-34.31%

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

$28.37 R 471

$40.72 CA$57.9

-30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

$75.4 CA$107

-46.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

$66.0 CA$93.8

-25.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

$18.35 CA$26.10

-39.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$10.47 CA$14.89

-15.66%

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

$261 R 4,336

$530 CA$754

-50.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 111.2K

$9,977 CA$14.2K

-32.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

$65.3 CA$92.9

-15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

$49.72 CA$70.7

-35.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

$77.8 CA$111

51.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

$93.3 CA$133

14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

$975 CA$1,387

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

$790 CA$1,124

-9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

$1,541 CA$2,192

16.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

$1,369 CA$1,947

-2.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

$1,973 CA$2,807

18.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

$1,531 CA$2,177

-1.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

$2,734 CA$3,889

-40.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.57

140.04%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$790 38.4% 10.5% $75

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$408 19.8% 83.5% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$293 14.3% 58.2% $108

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$277 13.5% 59.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$129 6.3% 8.4% $12

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$73 3.6% 2.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$87 4.2% 30.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $975 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 67% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $70.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $408 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

110,525

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 11,490 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador costs about 29% 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 $3,036 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador at $2,024. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.