Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Stabio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $3,403 in Stabio, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Cape Town, South Africa
Stabio, Switzerland
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Stabio
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,403
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $3,403 in Stabio, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Stabio $3,403

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $5,393 in Stabio, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Stabio $5,393

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $7,383 in Stabio, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Stabio $7,383

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

Both Cape Town and Stabio sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Stabio by 152%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 198
$35.41 CHF 28.87
-66.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 707
$182 CHF 148
-76.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$19.46 CHF 15.87
-68.40%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.04
$4.74 CHF 3.87
-50.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$5.50 CHF 4.49
-76.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.46
$4.42 CHF 3.61
-78.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.77
$9.90 CHF 8.08
-70.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.8
$7.46 CHF 6.09
-50.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.73
$2.19 CHF 1.79
-39.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.87
$3.64 CHF 2.97
-66.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.26
$4.09 CHF 3.34
-46.21%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.1
$7.35 CHF 6.00
-57.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$26.11 CHF 21.29
-66.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$28.55 CHF 23.28
-75.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$39.89 CHF 32.53
-76.79%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.08
$3.32 CHF 2.71
-44.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.12
$1.71 CHF 1.39
14.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.32
$2.48 CHF 2.03
-33.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.19
$5.37 CHF 4.38
-60.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.01
$1.90 CHF 1.55
-16.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.29
$2.18 CHF 1.78
-32.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.18
$2.34 CHF 1.90
-42.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.85
$1.23 CHF 1.01
-7.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.0
$11.19 CHF 9.13
-68.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.7
$14.89 CHF 12.14
-59.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.95
$2.87 CHF 2.34
-51.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.90
$4.01 CHF 3.27
-45.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.02
$4.15 CHF 3.39
-66.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$113 CHF 92.0
-46.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.26
$7.39 CHF 6.02
-87.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.83
$5.60 CHF 4.57
-83.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.7
$36.32 CHF 29.61
-86.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.37
$2.31 CHF 1.88
-33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.8K
$38.7K CHF 31.6K
-8.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 549.9K
$40.0K CHF 32.6K
-16.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,929
$314 CHF 256
-62.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 424
$25.76 CHF 21.00
-0.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 649
$49.36 CHF 40.25
-20.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 850
$72.6 CHF 59.2
-28.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 187
$41.64 CHF 33.96
-72.74%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$20.46 CHF 16.69
-56.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,069
$3,211 CHF 2,619
-90.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.2K
$41.4K CHF 33.7K
-80.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 946
$111 CHF 90.8
-48.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 523
$49.44 CHF 40.32
-35.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,911
$150 CHF 122
-22.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,660
$171 CHF 139
-41.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.2K
$1,831 CHF 1,493
-42.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$1,422 CHF 1,160
-52.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.7K
$2,874 CHF 2,344
-35.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.2K
$2,549 CHF 2,078
-44.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.7K
$14.4K CHF 11.7K
-83.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$10.7K CHF 8,721
-85.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Stabio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
1.9
473.16%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Stabio: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Stabio
$1.4K 113% $753
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Stabio
$595 166% $372
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Stabio
$389 113% $206
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Stabio
$503 189% $329
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Stabio
$217 57.5% $79
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Stabio
$165 130% $93
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Stabio
$114 63.7% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,831 in Stabio. 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 $182 in Stabio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $595 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇨🇭 Stabio
🕒 Local time
08:37 8:37 AM
07:37 7:37 AM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
4,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.915 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Stabio 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Stabio

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 Stabio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Stabio?
Stabio costs about 123% 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 Stabio?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $5,105 in Stabio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Stabio?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,831 in Stabio.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Stabio?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,403 in Stabio. That makes Cape Town about 55% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Stabio?
Public transport costs about 46% less in Cape Town. 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 Stabio?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,403 in Stabio. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Cape Town is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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