Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Stephenville

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $2,261 in Stephenville, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,568
/mo nomad
Stephenville
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,261
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $2,261 in Stephenville, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,568
  • Stephenville $2,261

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $3,221 in Stephenville, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,438
  • Stephenville $3,221

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $4,181 in Stephenville, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,307
  • Stephenville $4,181

Cape Town is about 31% cheaper than Stephenville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Stephenville sit above the global median – Cape Town by 17%, Stephenville by 69%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.78 R 195
$17.69 CA$25.17
-33.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 R 772
$62.6 CA$89.0
-25.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.96 R 98.9
$10.70 CA$15.22
-44.30%
Cappuccino
$2.47 R 41.01
$3.58 CA$5.09
-31.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 R 22.03
$1.96 CA$2.79
-32.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 R 17.08
$1.62 CA$2.31
-36.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.01 R 49.98
$5.31 CA$7.55
-43.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 R 60.8
$5.49 CA$7.81
-33.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 R 23.08
$2.47 CA$3.52
-43.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.19 R 19.70
$2.52 CA$3.59
-52.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 R 35.02
$3.34 CA$4.75
-36.83%
Eggs
$3.01 R 49.84
$3.45 CA$4.91
-12.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.96 R 149
$9.77 CA$13.90
-8.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 R 110
$11.42 CA$16.24
-41.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.29 R 154
$14.30 CA$20.34
-35.03%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.28
$3.80 CA$5.40
-51.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 R 31.47
$1.30 CA$1.85
46.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.75 R 28.98
$3.70 CA$5.27
-52.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.09 R 34.59
$3.68 CA$5.23
-43.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 R 25.78
$2.50 CA$3.56
-38.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 R 24.65
$2.25 CA$3.20
-33.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.53
$2.34 CA$3.33
-44.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 R 19.29
$1.61 CA$2.28
-27.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.71 R 61.5
$13.88 CA$19.74
-73.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.06 R 101
$10.76 CA$15.31
-43.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.97
$2.57 CA$3.66
-45.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 R 36.51
$3.09 CA$4.40
-28.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.51 R 25.11
$2.30 CA$3.27
-34.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.0 R 1,011
$61.0 CA$86.8
-0.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.63 R 10.38
$2.82 CA$4.01
-77.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 R 25.42
$1.42 CA$2.02
7.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.81 R 79.8
$22.82 CA$32.45
-78.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 R 26.22
$1.11 CA$1.58
42.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K R 588.7K
$27.8K CA$39.5K
27.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K R 526.6K
$18.8K CA$26.7K
69.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$116 R 1,930
$139 CA$197
-15.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.37 R 471
$38.22 CA$54.4
-25.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.69 R 675
$54.8 CA$77.9
-25.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.85 R 810
$40.70 CA$57.9
20.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.13 R 185
$18.03 CA$25.64
-38.27%
Cinema Ticket
$8.83 R 146
$11.22 CA$15.95
-21.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$261 R 4,336
$736 CA$1,046
-64.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,702 R 111.2K
$13.2K CA$18.7K
-49.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.4 R 919
$54.0 CA$76.9
2.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.27 R 535
$38.23 CA$54.4
-15.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 R 1,949
$83.5 CA$119
40.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 R 1,775
$99.0 CA$141
8.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 R 16.8K
$1,232 CA$1,753
-17.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$715 R 11.9K
$1,132 CA$1,610
-36.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,801 R 29.9K
$1,911 CA$2,718
-5.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,330 R 22.1K
$1,711 CA$2,434
-22.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,331 R 38.7K
$4,270 CA$6,073
-45.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,513 R 25.1K
$3,568 CA$5,075
-57.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Stephenville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,636 R 27.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
4.64
136.42%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Stephenville: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$715
Stephenville
$1.1K 58.2% $416
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$222
Stephenville
$348 56.3% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$185
Stephenville
$232 24.8% $46
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Stephenville
$268 54.6% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$141
Stephenville
$124 12% $17
Getting Around
Cape Town
$75
Stephenville
$80 6.4% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$67
Stephenville
$63 5.1% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $1,232 in Stephenville. 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $63.0 in Stephenville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $348 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇨🇦 Stephenville
🕒 Local time
12:19 12:19 PM
07:49 7:49 AM
4 h 30 min behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
6,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.58 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 = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Stephenville 11,910 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Stephenville

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 Stephenville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Stephenville?
Stephenville costs about 44% 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 Stephenville?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $3,392 in Stephenville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Stephenville?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Stephenville?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $2,261 in Stephenville. That's a gap of about 44%.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Stephenville?
Public transport costs about 0% 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 Stephenville?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Stephenville at $2,261. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stephenville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cape Town or Stephenville?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $2,261 in Stephenville. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Stephenville?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stephenville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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