Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Sun City Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Sun City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,274 per month in Cape Town vs $985 in Sun City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $1,589 in Sun City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Cape Town vs $2,194 in Sun City, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 29% more than Sun City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cape Town and Sun City are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Sun City 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 179

$11.29 R 186

-3.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 743

$43.93 R 725

2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 R 85.3

$4.90 R 80.9

5.51%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.77

$2.24 R 37.02

-11.16%

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

$1.15 R 18.92

$1.03 R 16.94

11.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.49

$0.78 R 12.81

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 47.43

$2.62 R 43.17

9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.43

$2.47 R 40.72

-0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.21

$1.09 R 17.99

6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.17

$0.78 R 12.95

41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.32

$1.71 R 28.29

11.11%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.79

$2.42 R 39.95

2.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 R 141

$8.06 R 133

6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 83.2

$4.70 R 77.5

7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 124

$6.60 R 109

13.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.01

$1.69 R 27.95

-10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.42

$1.47 R 24.32

-3.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$1.48 R 24.41

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.50

$1.60 R 26.36

-3.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.51

$1.49 R 24.53

-24.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.47

$1.44 R 23.75

-13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.94

$1.06 R 17.46

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.79

$0.96 R 15.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R 49.78

$3.04 R 50.3

-0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 99.4

$6.14 R 101

-1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$1.36 R 22.43

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.55

$1.59 R 26.32

5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.64 R 27.04

-40.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 779

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.67

$1.14 R 18.86

25.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.41

$0.94 R 15.55

-1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 R 73.7

$4.05 R 66.9

10.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.65

$1.27 R 21.02

-6.30%

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

$21.2K R 350.2K

$22.3K R 367.5K

-4.69%

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

$23.9K R 394.4K

$24.0K R 396.4K

-0.52%

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

$99.4 R 1,641

$96.5 R 1,593

3.01%

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

$33.36 R 550

$39.92 R 659

-16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 R 675

$42.82 R 707

-4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 R 693

$30.51 R 504

37.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.18 R 135

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 113

$3.11 R 51.3

120.90%

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

$210 R 3,467

$203 R 3,353

3.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 R 88.3K

$4,820 R 79.5K

11.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 920

$49.90 R 823

11.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 R 554

$33.37 R 551

0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,867

$67.1 R 1,108

68.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R 1,413

$80.1 R 1,321

6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R 12.7K

$366 R 6,034

110.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,631

$331 R 5,470

57.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R 24.0K

$685 R 11.3K

112.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 R 17.2K

$685 R 11.3K

52.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 R 38.4K

$777 R 12.8K

199.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 R 24.9K

$802 R 13.2K

88.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 R 26.4K

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sun City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Cape Town versus $366 in Sun City. 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 $44.00 in Sun City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $179 – making Sun City 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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 29% more than Sun City, 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 $1,911 per month in Cape Town and $1,477 in Sun City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sun City, 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 $1,274 in Cape Town and $985 in Sun City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $210 per month in Cape Town and $203 in Sun City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sun City, where all-in costs run around $985, than in Cape Town at $1,274. In Sun City 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. Sun City costs $985 versus $1,274 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 Sun City. 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.